Dragon Kiss
by Paradise.Masquerade
Summary: You'd do anything to save the people you love right? I did my best to save them, I really did, but it's not enough. Now I have to fight to show Kakashi the truth about me and my past. What if what I really am honestly scares him and all the others I love?
1. Prologue

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Dragon Kiss

I do not own any of the Naruto characters that Masashi Kishimoto created... I own all the others in my story though

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Dragon Kiss

Prologue

(**A few hundred years before the formation of the Village Hidden in the Leaves**)

The ninja world had always found itself divided into territories by the continuously fighting ninja. The border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass had always been the most disputed over. There was no village near the border that belonged to Fire Country; giving Grass ninja ample time to trespass before they were attacked. Even with this advantage the Grass ninja could never defeat the ninja from a nearby village. However, there were still many casualties on both sides and the fact that the Land of Grass could never progress was aggravating to them. Finally, after a few years of training a great number of elite shinobi, Grass Country decided to attack. There were many secret meetings discussing the infiltration of Fire Country and only the most loyal shinobi could attend. No one in the Land of Fire had any idea what was coming…

When the army from the Land of Grass crossed the border and marched into the forests of Fire Country, they passed a farm house. The army decided that they would kill the farmers and live off the food resources that were kept there instead of being forced to return to their own country. The ninja rounded up the farmers which consisted of two elderly parents and their son and daughter. After binding them with rope, four men were assembled to kill the farmers. One Grass ninja slowly approached the old man, sword drawn. Suddenly, a huge cloud of smoke shielded the farmers and their captors from view. When the smoke dissipated, four brightly coloured dragons stood where the farmers had been tied. The fearsome dragons crouched and growled, preparing to attack. One dragon commenced the fight by lunging at the Grass ninja that had been preparing to kill the old man. The other dragons followed suite and preformed various Fire Jutsus while lashing out with their claws, teeth and sharp blades that emerged from the end of their tails at will.

A few minutes later the whole army from the Land of Grass lay strewn in a bloody mess around the farm. Not one of them survived whilst the dragons emerged from the battle with only minor scratches. A lone howl drifting from the forest attracted the attention of all four dragons. A black wolf scampered out of the trees, followed by hundreds of ninja from a nearby village. The dragons returned to their human forms and faced the shinobi. The looks of shock on the ninja's faces were almost comical but the farmers explained who they were and what had happened to allow four people to defeat an entire army.

They had originated from a small country called the Land of Magma but after a few hundred years, the small country's conditions became too harsh for living. Constantly erupting volcanoes and extremely hot temperatures ended up killing most of their clan and forced the small family to take up residence in Fire Country. Their clan however, had the unusual ability to transform into dragons without using up any chakra.

The Fire shinobi were deeply awed by the small family's strength. They convinced the Tatsuhas to come to their village and speak with their leader. News has already spread about the surprise attack and the Grass army's defeat. The Tatsuhas were welcomed into the small village with cheering from every villager. The village leader invited them into his house and asked for a recount of the battle. He assessed the elder couple and then the brother and sister, who had to be in their late twenties. He looked at them sternly and asked if they would form a village at the border between Fire Country and Grass Country. Their job would be to protect the Land of Fire from any attack from the Grass Country and any other country that might be so bold enough as to try and trespass. The Tatsuhas would take villagers that wanted to be adopted into their family and train them to use all the Jutsus that their clan was famous for, including breeding wolves and training them to answer to the Summoning Jutsu. Their village and purpose, should they choose to accept, would be a highly guarded secret in the Land of Fire that even the villagers who had seen them earlier that day would swear to never to speak of again, even to their own families. The Tatsuhas were astonished by this proposal but agreed. They informed the village leader that only direct descendants of the Tatsuha clan would be able to use the Dragon Transformation Jutsu. The leader wasn't surprised and said that all they needed was for the Tatsuha clan to grow and became strong enough to vanquish all enemies.

A few days later, the villagers interested in becoming a Tatsuha packed their belongings and set off with the dragon family towards the border to begin a new life.

(**During the end of the Second Hokage's rule**)

Hundreds of years had passed since the leader of the tiny village had asked the Tatsuhas to form their own village. In that time, the small village in the Land of Fire had grown and become known as the Village Hidden in the Leaves. As well the leader of the village had long since passed away and even the one after that and the one after that…The Village Hidden in the Leaves had been formed by a man who the villagers had come to call the First Hokage and after said ruler resigned, a second Hokage was chosen. He swore to protect his country and the Tatsuhas renewed their loyalties, agreeing to aid the village whenever there was a problem.

Over the years the Tatsuha clan had grown to a staggering amount of two hundred members. However, only thirty of them were direct descendants of the ancient Tatsuhas and therefore could transform into dragons. Even though the clan had the most rigorous training ever heard of, the direct descendants had it even worse. It all worked out to their advantage in the end though, since the training made them stronger than any other shinobi in the world. This in turn, caused them to be called upon relentlessly when there was trouble.

As such, no Tatsuha member went into battle without his/her loyal wolf by their side. The bond between human and wolf had strengthened throughout the years which made them virtually inseparable. On top of that, each Tatsuha member had such skill with Fire Jutsu that the infamous Uchiha clan were put to shame and even rendered useless in battle. The Uchihas still talked about the Tatsuha clan in secret in their district. They hated them because they had taken their place in the Hokage's eyes and they were glad that none of their numbers had run off with the clan in the first place.

The Land of Grass had relentlessly caused trouble with the Tatsuhas over the years; even if they were beat every single time. The power of the dragon clan was just too great for any army that ever got in their way. The Land of Grass was extremely frustrated. Despite their best efforts and despite the fact that they sent out their best shinobi, they were never able to expand their territory. While the Grass Country (along with every other country for that matter), were defeated, the Land of Fire continued to grow stronger and stronger. Every country now feared the Land of Fire and were afraid that their country might be attacked, unprovoked.

Eventually, the Land of Grass had had enough of living in fear. They sent an urgent message to the Land of Earth, requesting that they join forces and attack Fire Country. The Land of Earth agreed and sent a thousand of their top shinobi to the smaller country to fight alongside the couple hundred shinobi they had. There was a lot of careful planning, secret meetings and coded messages. Before they could attack, however, there was one last thing that had to be done… The Tatsushi flower had to be fetched from the tallest mountain in the Land of Magma.

The army had found out that this special flower had the power to kill Tatsuhas who had the dragon Kekkei Genkai instantly. Its pollen had to be crushed and mixed with water to create the deadly poison and had to touch the Tatsuha's blood to take effect.

In the dead of night, the giant army surround the small village where the Tatsuhas resided. Weapons dipped in Tatsushi poison were distributed and the order to leave no clan member alive was emphasized. Finally, the signal to attack was given.

It was over at noon. The village lay in a smouldering heap, decorated with the bloody bodies of humans and dragons alike. Kunai knives and shuriken littered the ground wherever you stepped and the remaining hundred ninja, (all belonging to the Land of Earth and Grass) prodded the bodies to double check that every Tatsuha member was dead. What was left of the army were terribly injured and astonished that it had taken a hundred ninja plus poisoned weapons to kill one dragon. The direct descendants had been no match for the Tatsushi poison though…

The remaining live shinobi finished checking the bodies and returned home without giving the village a second glance. As they trudged through the forest, a mournful howl announced the arrival of a grey wolf back at the village…

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ReicheruTatsuha here! Please comment and review!


	2. Chapter 1

All Naruto charactes belong to Masashi Kishimoto

I must apologize for I just realized that the three dots that I added inside my chapters to demonstrate that there was a time skip have disappeared and I do not remember where they all went and for some reason fanfic wont let me re-add them so please bare with me; usually my story will say how long the time gap was but if not then please just infer.

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Chapter I: Kakashi

Chapter I: Kakashi

**(During the rule of the Third Hokage)**

The wind rustled my coffee brown hair as I sat in the arms of the lone cherry tree in the empty Academy park. The ancient building looked exactly as it had when I had been a student there.

I had been six years old when I had graduated from the Ninja Academy in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I was the best at Fire Jutsu and even considered better than most Jounin. My mother had taught me everything I knew about Fire Jutsu. The rest I had honed and perfected using my Sharingan. My one Sharingan eye, my right eye, I had inherited from my father. A strong man my father was…very strong. He had introduced me to all other Jutsus and had particularly helped me with my Taijutsu. I had sparred with him every morning when I was young and I remember vividly the day I broke his nose. By accident of course, and I had been horrified but he had smiled and looked at me proudly. He had told me I would be much stronger than him one day. I'm strong now, much stronger than he was, but I wasn't back then…

I pulled away from my depressing thoughts and redirected my attention to the swing set that swayed in the slight breeze.

I was eight now and perched within the branches of a two hundred year old cherry tree in the Academy's park. My favourite spot; the spot where I came to think, relax and watch the kids enrolled at the Academy. In my mind these kids were the slower paced kids, the weaker ones. No one was in the park at the moment; of course not they were all eating lunch inside the Academy walls. I ate my lunch in this very spot every day after Yoko-sensei dismissed me.

Yoko had been my sensei since I had graduated from the Academy two years ago. I was still too young to be put in a squad, (even though I was a Chuunin) but, at least Yoko-sensei could train me. I'd build up my strength so that I could protect my comrades when that day came…

I didn't have any friends at the moment, other than my pet wolf, White Fang. He kept me company when I was home but I longed for a human companion, a best friend. Kids my age tended to avoid me, probably because of my history… The Hokage had said he'd taken care of most suspicions, most, but not all. It probably didn't help that I dressed a little differently than the others too. The dragon symbol I sported on my white shirt caused a few questioning glances but nobody was smart enough to put two and two together. Oh well, why should I be careful about hiding my identity when no one was even intelligent enough to figure it out? So what if people were scared of me because I was strong for my age and unusually talented with Fire Jutsu and most other Jutsus for that matter?

It was thanks to my abilities with Fire Jutsu that I'd received the name Tatsue even though my real name was Reicheru. The name Tatsue means Dragon Lady and the villagers only found it fitting because I used fire as much as a dragon would. If only the village knew the truth about me, that name would have a lot more significance…

**Rustle, rustle** the bush a few meters away from me moved.

"Ugh!" a silver haired boy fell out of the bush and landed on his butt, back facing me.

"Ha ha, what a loser. You must like playing ninja a lot since you're always wearing that mask," a voice mocked from the bushes.

Not the Academy bullies _and_ Kakashi…

The Academy bullies were no big deal. Sure they could pack a punch if they actually managed to connect but most of the time they were just annoying. Always making fun of people or stealing your lunch and holding it above your head, just out of reach… No they weren't a big deal, it was Kakashi…The boy I'd had a crush on since I'd first laid eyes on him at the Academy.

Kakashi had graduated the year I began my lessons at the Academy. He had graduated when he was five and I had started that September when I was five as well. We both started training early and only took a year to graduate. He had stopped by during some of my lessons and helped us practice. I was partnered up with him since I was the most advanced in our class. He had always been nice to me and I idolized him. I'd trained extra hard to be able to graduate in one year, just like him. I'd succeeded and I'd even become a Chuunin when I was seven. Of course Kakashi had beaten me by becoming a Chuunin the year before.

"Really mature guys. Don't you have anything better to do?" Kakashi asked in a sarcastic tone as two chubby boys emerged from the bush.

Kakashi picked himself up and brushed the dust off of his navy blue pants. I couldn't understand why Kakashi was letting these boys pick on him when he could kick their butts into the next dimension. I sat quietly in my tree hoping that they hadn't seen me. Kakashi probably knew I was there; he had good senses, but the chubby boys on the other hand…

"I say we pull off his mask and see what his real face looks like," chuckled one of the bullies, Kakashi just sighed.

"You know you'll never be able to pull it off," Kakashi informed them with a bored look.

"Well then we'll just have to cut it off," the other bully snickered and the two of them pulled out kunai knives.

Kakashi was backing up slowly to the side of my tree. I could see a little fear in his eyes. It didn't matter if he was way better at every Jutsu than the bullies, they could still hurt him if they threw a kunai the right way.

I looked down at Kakashi's right leg and realized that his equipment holster wasn't attached to the bandage wrap there. He had no weapon but I knew he could probably still beat them with whatever Jutsu he chose. Of course it was still two against one; not really fair odds. I could step in and help; I could fight one while he fought the other. Besides, they _were_ disturbing my peace and quiet _and_ attacking a fellow ninja…

My decision was made; I pulled a custom made kunai out of my hip pouch, I never went anywhere without them. I'd added my own little touch to the normal kunai they always distributed. I filed mine into a sharper point and put red, yellow and white ribbon on the handles so they were easier to grip. I made sure my side bangs covered my Sharingan. No one except Yoko-sensei and the Third Hokage knew that I had it. No one needed to know, at least not yet. All my opponents had been easy enough to beat without it so far.

**Thud**

I landed in a crouched position and stood up beside Kakashi who smirked as I tossed him my kunai. He caught it perfectly and positioned it in front of his face. The small hint of fear in his eyes had been replaced with confidence. The other boys eyed us cautiously debating whether or not to start the fight. They eyed me, a girl, standing there without a weapon and the resulting malicious smile and positioning of their own kunai knives gave away their decision.

"You take the one on the left and I'll take the one on the right," Kakashi muttered and I smiled in response.

"Fire Style, Fire Wall Jutsu!" I screamed as I made a few quick hand signs and blew a line of flame that separated the two boys from each other.

I accidentally set the bush from which they had first emerged on fire but luckily they were so startled by the fire wall that they didn't notice. I caught Kakashi looking at me and blushed slightly but my eyes did not leave the bully who was rushing towards me. I dodged the attack easily and stuck my leg out. The boy tripped over it and flew right into my cherry tree. It shuddered and a few pink petals fell as he tried to pull his knife from where it lay embedded in the smooth bark. I calmly walked towards him as I pulled out another of my special kunai knives and placed it lightly on the back of his neck. He may have been my age but he was extremely stupid; you never turned your back on an opponent. The boy froze as he felt the cool metal of my blade against his neck.

"You do realize that if this was a real battle, you'd be dead," he shivered as my breath tickled his ear.

I stepped backwards and hit the bully on the back of the head with my knife's handle. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious. I turned towards my wall of fire and the burning bush.

"Water Style, Water Jet Jutsu!" I made the hand signs and held my hand out, palm facing the hot flames.

Water emerged from my palm and put out all the fire I had started. I looked over at Kakashi who was delivering one final blow to the boy who had first suggested that they take off his mask. The bully fell backwards and lay on the ground, unmoving.

"You didn't kill him did you?" I asked eyeing the chubby body.

"Of course not," Kakashi laughed as he approached me, "I just knocked him out like you did to that one," he said, motioning to the bully behind me. "Here's your kunai and by the way, I like what you've done to it," I caught the kunai easily and pocketed it, trying desperately to hide the small blush that was reddening my face.

"Thanks…" I said focusing my gaze on the now burnt bush.

"I didn't realize how adept you were at using Ninjutsu; I've only ever practiced Taijutsu with you," Kakashi commented trying to look me in the eye.

"I'm not that good…" I shrugged trying to be humble.

"You and your sensei should come train with my sensei and I. It would make training a lot more interesting," I looked at Kakashi just in time to see a small blush peek over the rim of his mask.

"That'd be great!" I exclaimed as I felt a huge, stupid grin spread across my face.

"We practice in the clearing behind the Memorial Stone," Kakashi informed me, all traces of the blush gone and an air of seriousness crossed his features. "See you at nine then," Kakashi gave a short wave and smiled as he set off into the trees that surrounded the park.

I smiled to myself as I walked back towards my cherry tree, but a chubby body prevented me from climbing up its sturdy trunk. I dragged the two kids' bodies into the trees so that the park was clear of any other humans. I walked over to my beautiful tree and jumped onto the top of its trunk that had a small divot from where I'd been sitting all these years. I liked how the tree had grown accustomed to by body, like I was another part of it. A few of its branches had even sprouted in a way that they supported and encircled my back. Perhaps I should be worried that I'd spent so much time in a tree that it had accepted me as another part of it?

No matter, I wouldn't be spending time in it tomorrow since I was going to train with Kakashi. Training with him would be fun and if I could beat him, even better. However, I seemed to recall memories from my year at the Academy where Kakashi and I had never been able to beat each other. We were both equal in strength back then so our small matches had always ended in a tie. Perhaps that had changed in the past two years… Oh well, I would find out where we stood tomorrow.

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Please comment and review! only constructive criticism and I apologize for any spelling errors and such that I didn't catch when correcting

Also, visit kakashiskokoronotomo. to see some fan art ive done for my series... why isnt the website url appearing? ugh just search up kakashiskokoronotomo on deviant art to see some fan art or type in Dragon Kiss or one of the characters names in my story and you should eventually find my work


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter II: A New Team

Most characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto, no copyright infringement intended

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Chapter II: A New Team

**(Four years later) **

The sun was shinning brightly in its highest point in the sky. I stared up at it distractedly; it was so hot and we had been training for hours. Of course this probably wouldn't be so hard if Yoko-sensei was actually participating… Too late, a flicker of movement caught my eye.

**CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!**

My kunai rung with a loud metallic sound every time I blocked Kakashi's blows. He was coming too fast; it was all I could do to defend myself. I leapt onto a tree and using my chakra, stood on it sideways. I was out of breath and from the looks of it, so was Kakashi who was clinging to a tree on the opposite side of the clearing.

"How long are you two going to do this?" complained Kakashi's sensei, Minato Namikaze.

"Yeah, you've been practising since sunrise," added Yoko-sensei.

They had been fighting with us for a time but I guess our youthful energy was just too much for them.

"Does a mission end just because a ninja's too tired or thinks it's too complicated?" demanded Kakashi from his perch on the tree.

Our senseis just rolled their eyes and looked up at me, I shrugged.

"Kakashi, maybe we could take a short break? It _is_ lunch time after all," I pleaded, making a poor effort to look cute by batting my one visible eye.

Kakashi sighed, "No!" he leapt towards my tree and I let go of my chakra and fell the couple of stories to the ground.

Our kunai knives had been covered with a soft porous material that was filled with berry juice. Whenever you hit somebody with it, the juice would leak through and onto your opponent's clothes without injuring them. Kakashi's kunai knife hit me on the top of my right shoulder, staining my white shirt; great day to wear white. I back flipped away from the tree and pulled my own kunai knife out of my equipment bag. Kakashi landed at the foot of the tree an instant later and I flung my weapon at him. He wasn't quick enough and it hit him right in the chest.

"You'd be dead now so can we please take a break?" I asked once again.

"No, because I hit the arm that you use to throw your knives, so technically, you wouldn't have been able to throw it properly. Besides, a mission, or any battle for that matter, doesn't stop just because a ninja is tired. We have to work on our stamina," explained Kakashi.

"But we've only managed to hit each other once and the rest of the time we've just been defending ourselves!"

"Doesn't matter, it's hand to hand combat practice; we can't give up. If you were in trouble would you abandon your mission just because you were tired or because you couldn't deliver the final blow to your enemy?" Kakashi lectured.

"Ugh!" I flung a kunai knife at him. "Shut up!" of course he knocked my weapon aside easily.

"That's not a nice thing to say or do to your best friend," Kakashi smirked.

"Usually your best friend isn't trying to kill you," I smiled sarcastically.

"Touché," he replied as he whipped another kunai at me.

I dodged it with ease and twirled further away from him.

"Okay Kakashi, I've had enough," I made a few hand signs that were too fast for him to make out.

I slipped into the ground while Kakashi's attention was focused on another kunai I'd sent flying at him.

"Where'd she go?" Kakashi asked our senseis but they just snickered in reply.

"You said this was a combat exercise, you can't have any help from us since, technically, we're dead," Yoko-sensei said, pointing at his juice stained clothes and Minato chuckled.

I could hear everything from under the earth. I positioned myself behind Kakashi and pushed my hands above the earth's crust. I grabbed his ankles and began to pull him under the ground using all my strength.

"What the-?!" exclaimed Kakashi.

"Smart girl that one," commented Minato.

"Earth Style, Inner Decapitation Jutsu!" I yelled and pulled until Kakashi completely sunk into the ground.

I climbed out of the dirt and looked at Kakashi's head as he squirmed in his earth prison.

"No fair, she cheated! This was a combat exercise, no Jutsu allowed!" Kakashi complained and cast a pleading glance at our senseis, but they were too busy laughing.

I sighed, "Ah, but you see Kakashi, in a real battle-"

"I get it, I get it!" he shouted, cutting me off.

I smirked, he did not like being lectured, but lecturing others…that was a completely different matter. He was so by the books these days; making sure that I knew the Shinobi Laws down to the last comma. Kakashi had also been less fun. Training with him was still enjoyable but he pushed me to my limits, and that was just by the afternoon. On the other hand, we were both very strong and we had loads of stamina, but that was never enough for Kakashi. We had to be ready for anything that could be stronger than us.

I guessed that his sudden change in attitude came from his father's death. Poor boy, I'd idolized his father just as much as I did him. That's why I'd named White Fang after him, but I didn't dare tell Kakashi that I had a pet wolf named after his father. If I did, he would probably get all sulky and angry and tell me that his father was a failure who shouldn't be honoured for what he'd done.

Kakashi had loved his father but after the failed mission three years ago, he never talked about him. I knew he was ashamed of what his father had done and that was probably the reason for him following the rules so closely…and for training me so hard. He didn't want to have to choose between me and a mission if we were on the same team. I knew Kakashi would be destroyed if he ever had to make that decision and in the end, he'd leave me to die. The mission and the Land of Fire came first in his eyes; especially with us in the middle of this war with Earth Country.

I was startled out of my thoughts by Kakashi's voice.

"Hey, Reicheru! If you'd stop daydreaming for just a minute could you pull me out of this dirt?"

I laughed, "Only if you promise to take a break."

Kakashi sighed in defeat and I made the Earth Release hand sign so he was able to climb out on his own. We walked over to the giant rock that our senseis were lounging on. Yoko and Minato had our lunch all unpacked and set up. Our curry was cold but other than that it tasted delicious.

"Rest up you guys, remember we have to go to the Academy later to find out what squads you're in," Minato reminded us as he shovelled some curry in his mouth.

I shook my head; men had no manners at all.

An aggravated sigh escaped Kakashi's lips in between bites. I looked at him; I knew what he was thinking. All the other kids were weak in his eyes; graduating from the Academy at a normal rate. We were the only two who were so adept with Jutsu that we had graduated in one year and at a younger age than everyone else. Kakashi and I were matched in skill and he knew that he wouldn't have to watch my back as often as he would others. His attitude made me mad sometimes, no matter how much I loved him. I tried so hard to make him realize how important teamwork was but he made sure that we were always pitted against each other during our training. Kakashi was more focused on developing our individual skills than working well together and completing a mission as a team.

I wondered if he'd ever understand…

I felt Kakashi's gaze at that moment and made sure my bangs covered my right eye. Maybe if I used my Sharingan I could land a few more blows on him. No, then I would have to explain more than I ever wanted to…

I winced and Kakashi looked at me again.

"You okay?" he asked kindly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied unconvincingly.

Later that day, I found myself at the main entrance to the Academy. The four of us walked inside and up a couple of floors until we found the classroom where the graduating students had all been assembled. Kakashi and I chose seats in the elevated back row and as we made our way up the steps, I heard all the excited whispers about our arrival.

"Those are the kids that graduated early..."

"They're supposed to be really strong…"

"Odd outfits…Maybe they're better for their techniques?"

I thought about that last comment for a moment. I glanced at Kakashi who wore his usual navy blue outfit with white shoulder pads and arm shields. There were leather straps that crisscrossed across his front and back that helped support the Light Blade that had once belonged to his father. The mask that covered Kakashi's face, which he never took off, made him look a little suspicious, but all in all, he looked powerful, not odd.

I looked down at my own clothes which I had designed myself. My white T-shirt had red and yellow flames around the neck and the dragon symbol on my stomach. Hanging on my waist was the black Leaf headband I used as a belt. My skirt was white as well with a flame border and it covered part of my black leggings that ended just above my knees. I wore a bandage on my left arm that covered some serious scars that I desperately wanted to avoid explaining and finally my bangs that hid my right eye. I probably looked more like a rebel than anything else, maybe a little intimidating.

We were almost at our seats when I heard a comment that was of a completely different topic than the others.

"That girl is pretty cute."

I whipped my head around in time to see the boy nudging his friend with his elbow and jerking his head in my direction.

"Um, dude…" the boy's friend pointed towards me.

The brown haired boy slowly turned to face me. His eyes opened wide and his face turned a beet red when his brown eyes locked with my blue ones. I smiled and continued up the aisle. Unfortunately for the boy, I sat in the seat right behind him. His face was still red and he lay his head down on his desk while his black haired friend glanced at me, then at Kakashi and then back at his embarrassed friend. Kakashi's gaze turned a little acidic and I saw his mouth twitch beneath his mask as he figured out what had just happened. He kept his glare on the back of the brunette boy's head as if he was trying to bore a hole into his brain.

Our old sensei, master Shinnen, entered the room at that moment brandishing a list.

"Good afternoon students! I'd like to welcome back Kakashi and Reicheru who are joining us today for the squad selections," Shinnen-sensei motioned to us and the rest of the class clapped.

My chest filled with pride at being welcomed back but I couldn't help smiling when my eyes set upon the boy in front of me who still had his face glued to his desk.

"Now it's time to announce your squads," continued Shinnen. "Squad One! Maito Gai-"

The other two names were inaudible because Kakashi was whispering in my ear.

"I feel sorry for whoever is in that group. Gai is so bothersome… I have no idea what he does to his teeth but it's like he swallowed a whole tub of bleach; they're blinding!" Kakashi shook his head.

"That's the one in the green jumpsuit that says you're his rival right?" I chuckled.

Kakashi nodded and turned his attention back to Shinnen-sensei.

"Squad Seven! Obito Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake and Rin-"

The rest of his sentence became a blur as I looked over at Kakashi who had begun to stand. I knew this day was coming, the day that Kakashi and I would be separated…perhaps forever. It would be good for him to learn how to work as a team but I would miss him terribly. I wondered if I'd ever get to train with him again. Either way, what was most important was that he didn't fall in love with that Rin girl.

"Reicheru…" Kakashi's voice brought me back to the present situation.

"Hmm, yeah?"

"We'll have to continue our training together in the mornings," his eyes smiled at me and I nodded.

Kakashi turned away from me and walked down the aisle to Minato-sensei who would be his squad's leader. Movement in front of me attracted my attention. The red faced boy's friend was standing up to go and join Kakashi. Obito Uchiha was what I thought Shinnen-sensei had said. I wondered if we were related and I couldn't help but look at his eyes which he protected with a pair of orange goggles. I mentally slapped myself for thinking that this boy would have activated his Sharingan when there was no danger.

"Squad Eight!" I tore my gaze away from the Uchiha as Shinnen-sensei began to speak. "Reicheru Ahustat, Yuki Toshiro and Shinsetsu Rai. Yoko-sensei!" he announced.

I smiled and rose from my seat, all eyes were on me. At the far end of the room I heard someone congratulate a boy who was standing.

"Way to go Yuki! You got an awesome team!" the boy grinned at his friend's praise and made his way towards Yoko-sensei.

The boy's hair was such a deep shade of red that it was almost purple. His dark eyes were menacing and they seemed to say '_back off_'. His outfit was mostly black except for white trimmings around the edges of his shirt. He sported his black headband around his neck proudly like a medal. He seemed tough, but hopefully we would get along if I ended up beating him in a fight.

I moved into the aisle and to my astonishment, the boy who I'd humiliated got out of his desk and stood in front of me. Shinsetsu, poor boy; he walked head down, towards Yoko-sensei.

We walked past Kakashi's team and I heard Obito whisper something to Shinsetsu.

"Maybe I can get some information from Kakashi about that girl you like," Obito winked and caused Shinsetsu to turn red all over again.

I pretended like I hadn't heard and passed by Kakashi who reached out and caught my arm.

"Go easy on the poor guy," he advised, looking after Shinsetsu.

I smiled, nodded and walked towards Yoko-sensei. Shinsetsu just stared at his feet until Shinnen-sensei had finished separating the squads and had dismissed us.

We followed Yoko to the clearing behind the Memorial Stone. He leapt onto the big rock and perched there, like a buzzard analyzing his prey.

"You are going to use the rest of the day to show me all of your Jutsus. I'm already familiar with Reicheru's abilities so I will be paying closer attention to the two of you," Yoko-sensei eyed both boys. "Use all you skills to try and defeat your team mates. No matter what attack you choose, stop before you kill your opponent and then proclaim them '_dead_'," explained Yoko.

I'd done this exercise many times before with Kakashi. It was basically the same exercise we'd done that morning; minus the padded kunai and the fact that you were only allowed to use Taijutsu.

"Tatsue," I was slightly startled as Yoko-sensei called me by my nickname.

Only people I wasn't friends with called me by that name... I shrugged it off and looked up at my sensei.

"Yes sensei?"

"Don't go too easy on them," he winked. "Begin!"

Shinsetsu and Yuki were off in a flash. I let them get a head start because I knew this clearing like the back of my hand. I knew every nook and cranny that could possibly serve as a hiding place and I had excellent senses so that even if they did find a good enough hiding place, I could still find them easily. Training here for four years with Kakashi was finally paying off.

**Whoosh **

The sound of a kunai whizzing through the air gave me ample time to side step it. I looked up at the tree where the knife had come from. In two seconds I was up the very same tree and had Yuki cornered against its trunk. I pulled my own kunai knife out of my weapons pouch and began to toy with it in my hand.

"As soon as you give away your position, you're supposed to move," I lectured Yuki and I finally understood why Kakashi loved to lecture people so much.

Yuki's face boiled with rage and his eyes tightened menacingly.

"I KNOW!" he screamed as he flung another kunai at me which he had been concealing behind his back.

The weapon hit me square in the stomach and I was thrown backwards with the force.

"Guess you're not as skilled as they say," Yuki snickered.

"Guess again!" called Yoko from bellow.

"Huh?" Yuki glanced back at the body he'd hit with his kunai.

**Poof**

My body transformed into a log.

"The Substitution Jutsu!?" Yuki cried in despair.

From the opposite side of the absurdly thick tree trunk, I threw my shuriken attached with string. The shuriken encircled the tree, pinning Yuki against its rough bark before returning to me like a boomerang. I hopped around to the front of the tree and saw Yuki desperately struggling to get free.

"It's sad that you thought I'd be taken down so easily," I smirked and turned towards the log that lay on the tree's branch with Yuki's kunai embedded in it. "Fire Style, Small Fire Stream Jutsu!" I blew a jet of fire at the kunai lodged in the wood.

Five seconds later I stopped the jet of flame and moved to stand beside Yuki. I loved the expression on his face; one of terror and astonishment. In those five seconds I had melted and almost completely evaporated the metal weapon.

"Now just imagine that heat on your skin…" I whispered the thought in his ear as I brought the kunai I'd been holding to his neck. "You're dead," I announced.

"Yuki, come sit on this rock with me and wait until Shinsetsu and Reicheru '_kill_' each other," Yoko said with a chuckle.

I loosened the thread from around Yuki's body and rewound it so I could use it again. He glared at me the whole time and then jumped to the ground in a huff. I dashed to another tree and crouched, waiting for Shinsetsu to make his move.

Well I definitely wasn't on Yuki's good side, but I knew there was loads of time for us to be friends. Besides, I had to show these overconfident boys that a girl could be stronger than them.

**Rustle**

The cluster of leaves beside me moved slightly, but I had fast reflexes and within seconds I had leapt to the ground; away from Shinsetsu. I ran closer to the giant rock where Yuki and Yoko-sensei sat. A thud sounding behind me announced that Shinsetsu had followed me. I turned my head slowly, painting a confident smirk on my face as I did. This boy was going to lose if he decided to use Taijutsu. It would've been better if he'd found a place to hide in the trees and then used Ninjutsu or Genjutsu from there; at least then it would've been a little challenging. Even without using my Sharingan, his body position told me he was going to use hand to hand combat.

I realized too late that what I thought had been Shinsetsu making fists were actually very discreet hand signs.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he yelled as nine other Shinsetsus appeared around me.

Too easy, I could still win this. I looked back at who I thought was the real Shinsetsu; he was already making more hand signs.

"Earth Style, Mud Prison Jutsu!" Shinsetsu hit the ground with his right hand.

Mud swirled around my feet before bursting upwards and creating a huge sphere with slots in it. Even more mud emerged from the ground and ensnared my feet and arms so I was immobilized once it had hardened.

I watched through my rock like prison as all the Shinsetsus pulled a kunai out of their equipment holsters. I just had to figure out which was the real one and avoid its kunai. Too late, they'd all thrown them and all ten kunai headed for the gaps in my prison walls. The real one landed in my right bicep while the others all hit my cell's wall and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Shinsetsu, the real one I presumed, ran towards the prison with another kunai in his hand. He waved away the cloud of smoke from the fake kunai knives to find a log with a knife lodged in its branch, imprisoned in the solid mud.

"Crap, I thought I had her," Shinsetsu said frustrated before whirling around to scan the trees for me.

"The Substitution Jutsu, you gotta love it!" I said appearing on top of the rock Yoko-sensei and Yuki were sitting on.

Shinsetsu chucked the kunai at me and I let it hit.

**Poof **

My clone disappeared just as nineteen other clones of myself materialized around all of Shinsetsu's. I was perched on a tree branch high above the clearing. Just before Shinsetsu had made the mud prison I had quickly done the Substitution Jutsu.

I pulled my bangs away from my right eye and analyzed the scene under me. I focused on the clone boys and found that none of them had a chakra circulatory system except for the one closest to the brown rock where Yoko was standing, counting my clones. I replaced my bangs with a smirk; I had a plan.

I substituted myself with my clone closest to the real Shinsetsu. I kept the same position my clone had had so that it seemed like nothing had happened. I saw his gaze jump from clone to clone, figuring out his options. The clone in the trees rustled the branches noticeably under my command. Shinsetsu glanced up at the tree quickly then back to me, a supposed clone.

"Attack!" he commanded.

While his clones attacked mine Shinsetsu tried to leap for my clone hidden in the trees. I jumped up at the exact same moment and hit him in the stomach with a chakra enhanced fist. The force of my blow caused him to fall back and hit his head against the big rock. His eyes flickered but stayed open. I whipped a kunai knife out of my equipment bag and pressed it against his neck.

**Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! **

My clones had defeated all of his and they formed a loose fitting semi-circle around us.

"You're dead," I informed him.

"I figured as much," Shinsetsu sighed.

I laughed and inserted my kunai back in its pouch. I extended my right hand and he stared at it, confused.

"Well done, you had me going there for a minute," I praised him.

"Really?" he asked, finally comprehending and taking my hand and I helped him to his feet.

"Yeah, I've never seen that Mud Prison Jutsu before; it caught me a bit off guard," I admitted shrugging.

Shinsetsu smiled, flattered and a small blush coloured his cheeks. I giggled at how easy it was to make him blush and that only made his face redder.

Yoko sighed, "If you two are quite finished?"

"Sorry sensei," Shinsetsu and I said in unison.

"Well, I must admit that that was pretty good for brand new Genin. At least now I have an idea of what your skills are so we can work on your weaknesses next. We'll meet back here tomorrow after lunch," Yoko said kindly.

"Why don't we start in the morning?" inquired Yuki.

"Reicheru and I have a previous engagement with Kakashi and Minato-sensei," Yoko explained.

I smiled; I liked the sound of '_engagement_' and '_Kakashi_' in the same sentence. Ugh, I had to snap out of it, I sounded like a giddy three year old. Oh well, I missed Kakashi. I liked fighting with someone my own level. Winning against these boys didn't give me as much satisfaction as I was sure I would feel if I beat Kakashi.

"You're dismissed," Yoko said with a wave of his hand.

Yuki shot me one last glare before leaping into the trees. He was probably heading back home to his family…

I decided to walk home slowly instead of dashing there just to arrive to an empty house. As I started towards the path that led back to the village, Shinsetsu seemed to decide to accompany me.

"Not going home?" I asked while looking over my shoulder at him.

"Well, no… I want to make sure that you get home safe," he muttered looking down at his shoes.

"Yeah, because I need protecting," I scoffed sarcastically.

"You never know, there might be a rabid…cat lurking around that you aren't prepared for," Shinsetsu shot back catching up to me.

"A rabid cat?" I looked at him with a sideways glance raising my one visible eyebrow.

Shinsetsu smiled, embarrassed and rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand. He was silent as we walked past the Memorial Stone.

"Since you're so talented with Jutsu; how come you haven't been put in a squad 'till now?" he asked, his attention still focused on the black stone.

"Well, no matter how talented Kakashi or I were, we were still too young to be put into battle. You have to learn about teamwork and be a bit more mature before you enter a war," I explained as I chose a different path that would still lead us to the village.

I glanced over at Shinsetsu and his face had turned sour at the mention of Kakashi.

"Oh, right, him…" he bent down and picked up an odd shaped leaf and pretended to focus on it. "So are you two, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend?" Shinsetsu's face showed no emotion as he played with the leaf.

I snorted but refrained from saying "_I wish_".

"No, Kakashi is very guarded about who he lets into his life. It's an honour just to be his best friend," I explained.

I sighed; Kakashi had become even more guarded of his feelings towards others after his father had died. I desperately wanted to show him that he couldn't be frightened of loving people just because he was afraid of losing them.

"Oh," Was Shinsetsu's only reply but his face brightened at the fact that I was single.

"So did you decide to ask me all these questions yourself instead of having Obito ask Kakashi for you?" I glanced over at him and realized that I'd caused his face to turn an even deeper shade of red than it had been at the Academy.

I was sure that if he had the power, he'd change his color to match that of the buildings we were passing that marked the beginning of the village. Shinsetsu had slowed his pace and was staring at his shoes, trying to get his face under control. I giggled and turned around to face the boy.

"I'm sorry Shinsetsu. It's just so easy. I'll be nice from now on,"

"It's alright," he murmured, raising his gaze so that he looked me in the eye; his face had returned to its normal shade.

"So are you still planning on walking me home?" I asked as I turned around and continued walking down the road.

"Y-Yes!" he was shocked that the offer still stood and hurried to catch up to me.

"I just have one question. How are you supposed to walk me home if you have no idea where I live?" I smirked as his expression became confused.

Unless he had been able to follow me home without me knowing before we'd met, then he'd have no idea where I lived.

"Well…I, er…That is…I have no idea," he finally admitted.

I laughed, "Well that's fine, I'm not going home anyway," I made a sharp turn onto a different road that led to the park at the Academy.

"Why not?" he demanded, jogging to keep up with me.

"Why should I go home? It's not even dark yet," I pointed up at the sky. "I like to sit and watch the sunset from my cherry tree."

"Right, _your_ cherry tree…" Shinsetsu whispered, hardly loud enough for me to hear.

I whipped my head around to face him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I startled the boy with my harsh tone.

"Nothing! I mean, kids at the Academy were always talking about you. Some people just find it weird that you sit up in that tree all the time. I figured it was just some place that you went to relax or think. Other kids thought that maybe you used the tree in one of your Jutsus. Then there's that one rumour…" he fell silent after blurting out most of what he knew.

I sighed, "Just tell me, I've probably already heard it."

"Well, some kids think that you sit up in there to spy on us and study our different styles of fighting so you know how to defeat us," Shinsetsu glanced at me with an ashamed look on his face.

"Yeah, I've heard that one. All of what those kids say is wrong except for what you guessed," I sighed again.

"Figured," he shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked a rock out of his path.

We walked through a stand of trees and the scent of cherry blossoms drifted our way. I rushed forward and quickly scampered up into the tree. I looked down at Shinsetsu who seemed to want to ask another question but was too shy to do so.

"Thanks for walking me here," I motioned to the tree specifically.

"You're welcome. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," he turned slowly and started to head back in the direction of the trees we had passed through.

"Yes you will. Oh, and I promise to watch out for those rabid cats when I eventually go home," I giggled and watched as Shinsetsu's face turned red once again as he rushed away from me.

I sighed and leaned against a thick branch, pulling my legs to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I liked my team. Sure it wasn't what I had ideally planned, but it would do. It was fun to make Yuki mad and too irresistible to make Shinsetsu blush. I could have fun and train with them at the same time. We would make a powerful squad one day…


	4. Chapter 3

All the Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto but the ones I made obvioulsy belong to me

* * *

Chapter III: New Missions and a Picnic

Chapter III: New Missions and a Picnic

**(One year later)**

The wind rustled my hair as I sat in the cradle of my cherry tree's arms. I closed my eyes and listened to the noises the breeze made as it passed through the cherry blossoms. I sighed; peace _could_ be found in a time of war.

Earth Country had begun this war a few years back but it hadn't become worrisome up until now. Ninja were sent out everyday to protect our borders and the majority of them never returned. Now with the shortage of shinobi, young squads were given extremely dangerous missions which usually involved sneaking behind enemy lines to gather intelligence, destroy something or kill a group of enemy ninja. These were A and S ranked missions; _way_ beyond the level of a Genin, even a Chuunin like myself.

That didn't seem to matter though, the Hokage had given squads 7, 8, 9 and 10 missions that were to be carried out in the next few days; and I wasn't looking forward to it one bit. I had a day to prepare before my squad had to leave. With this giant war raging, villagers were panicked and shinobi were overworked and stressed.

My squad and Kakashi's had decided to have a picnic to help alleviate this tension and catch up. I hadn't spoken to Kakashi for over a year and I was feeling deprived of my best friend. Our training together in the mornings had been cancelled since we had to focus on working with our team mates. I'd agreed with that concept; I had to train Yuki and Shinsetsu to fight at my level and work together even if we didn't always see eye to eye. My training, along with Yoko-sensei's instructions had advanced their skills to the point where they could almost take me on. I guessed that Kakashi had only focused on building Rin and Obito's strength individually without bothering to work on teamwork. I sighed; he was going to run into problems during his mission if he wasn't careful.

A new scent drifted past my nose; the smell of sushi mixed with Kakashi's cologne. He'd finally arrived!

I launched myself from the tree and landed a few feet from its trunk. I straightened and looked towards the line of trees a few feet from where I stood. Kakashi was not yet visible but I could smell and hear him with my extra sensitive senses. I'd done a lot of experimentation with Jutsus over the past year and ended up creating one where I could intensify my hearing, sense of smell and night vision; just like a wolf's. White Fang had helped me develop my senses after I'd found the right hand signs that would commence this newly created Jutsu. We were an unbeatable pair; nothing could sneak up on us now.

Finally Kakashi emerged from the trees and as soon as he caught sight of me, he laughed.

"I can never surprise you, can I?" he asked as he jogged to where I stood.

"Nope," I replied happily and looked at the brown bag which he carried his lunch in; the smell was overwhelming.

I released the Wolf Senses Jutsu so that the scent of sushi would not burn my nostrils.

"Shouldn't Rin be here by now? She's still bringing the blanket and dessert right?" Kakashi asked while scanning the park for any sign of her.

I suppressed a sour look; I would've preferred if Kakashi and I had been the only ones on this picnic. Of course that would've caused suspicion among our squads and Shinsetsu or Rin probably would've crashed it anyway. Although, I did wish that Rin wouldn't show up, perhaps she already had something planned with her family?

I'd caught glimpses of her training with Kakashi and Obito and the look on her face whenever she was with Kakashi completely gave away that she liked him. She never tore her eyes away from him; which was probably why she never noticed that Obito was always staring at her. Oh well, since Obito was coming on this picnic maybe she'd fall madly in love with him and leave Kakashi to me.

"She's still bringing the stuff but you and I are annoyingly early," I said trying to keep my voice friendly while speaking about his team mate.

"Humph, well it's better than being an hour late like Obito always is," I glanced up at Kakashi, I'd never heard him speak with such an edge to his voice.

"Why's he always so late? He must have a good reason," Obito was in real trouble if Kakashi had already taken such a disliking to him.

"The reasons vary. One day he helped an old lady with her shopping bags and the next he said the Hokage wanted him to go fetch his coffee. His latest excuse was that a baby bird fell out of its nest so he climbed up the tree to give it back to its mother," I raised my one visible eyebrow wondering if he was pulling my leg. "I'm not kidding! Those are his excuses! One day I followed him and he actually went to the Memorial Stone. That's where he spends the hour he should be training; staring at a hunk of rock!" Kakashi ranted and waved his hands in anger.

I wanted to slap Kakashi across the face; the cold uncaring Kakashi, not the one I loved.

"Well, it's not such a waste of time, remembering those who've died in the line of duty! Sure, maybe Obito shouldn't be wasting _so_ much training time staring at the Memorial Stone, but at least he cares that people sacrificed their lives so that we may live safely in Konoha!" I'd never yelled at Kakashi before.

Kakashi took a step back from me, shocked by my sudden outburst. I turned around so that I could hide my shaking fists. He had no right to say that. Many of my ancestors' names were on the stone but no one Kakashi knew... Kakashi's father's name might've even been on there if he hadn't saved his team mates and abandoned his mission.

I took a few deep breaths and stopped the tremors that were causing my whole body to shake. The grass crinkled under Kakashi's feet as he approached me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry…" he murmured.

"It's okay," I turned around and attempted a small smile but it did not reach my eyes.

"Hi guys!" yelled Shinsetsu and Rin from the opposite end of the park.

"Looks like they came together," I noted bitterly at the sight of Rin.

Shinsetsu still had a crush on me and he was continually flirting. He was a sweet guy and good looking too, but nothing compared to Kakashi. From across the park I saw Shinsetsu's eyes focus on the hand Kakashi had on my shoulder. I shrugged it off and pretended to adjust my right sandal.

"Rin sure has a giant crush on you," I told my shoe casually, just loud enough for Kakashi to hear.

"Yeah, I noticed. I don't like her though, she's my team mate and that's all she'll ever be," he replied with a low chuckle.

I straightened up. This was the first time I'd been able to ask Kakashi that question. I smiled, he'd given me the answer I'd wanted and from where Rin and Shinsetsu stood, it looked like I'd told a joke.

"Where's Obito?" Shinsetsu asked as they reached the cherry tree.

Both Rin and Kakashi sighed.

"Apparently, he's going to be late," I interjected before Kakashi could start his rant again.

"Alright then, let's eat!" Shinsetsu exclaimed, rubbing his hands together and licking his lips.

"What about Yuki?" Rin asked. "He _is_ coming, isn't he?"

"Actually no; he believes that we should be training and that this picnic is a waste of time," I explained rolling my eyes as I did so.

"How can he train if you guys are here?" asked Kakashi.

"Well, it's _special _training. Yoko-sensei is helping him with some Ninjutsu and…anger management," continued Shinsetsu breaking into a huge grin at the end of his sentence.

"Anger management?" Kakashi and Rin asked incredulously.

"Yeah, when he gets angry his Taijutsu abilities double but he sort of forgets to watch his back and that puts him in danger," I explained.

Kakashi and Rin just stared at me before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Well in that case, let's eat!" Rin pulled the pink and white chequered blanket out from the basket she was carrying.

We sat down and unpacked our individual lunches. Just as I was about to take a bite of my own lunch, something crashed through the line of trees that surrounded the park. The thing was a blur as it raced towards us and I could only make out flashes of orange and black. Kakashi sighed and stood.

"You're almost on time for a picnic but for training you have to be an hour late?!" Kakashi's voice rose as his anger mounted.

"I know I'm sorry. I-" Obito lowered his gaze at the rage of his team mate.

"Sorry doesn't cut it! You need to be on time no matter what! You should-"

"Kakashi, calm down!" I cut him off as I sensed that the scene was going to get ugly. "Obito we're glad you could make it; come take a seat," I motioned towards the spot next to Rin.

Obito smiled and almost skipped to the space by Rin. Kakashi glared at him and I finally had to pull on his arm so that he would sit down. It took a couple of minutes before the atmosphere cleared and everyone started joking and talking about what they'd done over the past year. Everyone began to eat their lunch and I inconspicuously snuck a glance at Kakashi to see if he had taken his mask off to eat. To my astonishment he'd already finished eating and I figured that he must have eaten it in less than five seconds. I wondered if he'd ever choked while trying to eat so fast…

Once everyone had finished their lunches, Rin reached into her basket and pulled out a chocolate cake and a serrated knife. All of us simultaneously licked our lips at the sight of the delectable chocolate.

"You want to cut the cake?" Rin asked me, I nodded and took the knife.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Obito nod his head slightly towards the stand of trees behind the cherry tree. Shinsetsu nodded and stood.

"Where are you guys going?" Rin asked; she was surprised that the boys would leave when in the presence of such a magnificent cake.

"We'll be back in a minute," Obito said as he and Shinsetsu walked away.

I quickly made the hand signs for the Wolf Senses Jutsu before I picked up the knife. I began to cut the cake and tried not to seem like I was overhearing the conversation happening behind the veil of trees.

"Finally; tell me all that you found out from Kakashi!" Shinsetsu said excitedly.

"Keep your voice down, Kakashi has excellent hearing and I'm pretty sure Reicheru does too… Anyway, he's a hard one to crack, Kakashi. He values his friendship with her very highly and doesn't want to jeopardize it by telling me anything," Obito replied in a quieter manner.

"So you didn't find out anything?" Shinsetsu sounded heartbroken.

"I did but I had to annoy him a lot and I'm pretty sure that he hates me now; you saw how he acted when I arrived."

"So?" Shinsetsu urged him to continue.

Obito sighed, "She doesn't have a mother or father as far as he knows. Kakashi doesn't know when they died or what happened because she's never mentioned them around him. Kakashi thinks that her affiliation with the cherry tree has to do with something from her childhood but he's never asked her about it. He started training with Reicheru after she became a Chuunin and he's never beaten her in battle. She's a master at all Fire Jutsu but she is very adept with almost every other Jutsu," Obito took a deep breath after relaying all of his information.

"What about the bandages on her left arm and the bangs that always cover her right eye?" demanded Shinsetsu.

"Those are two burning questions that Kakashi would like to know the answers to as well," Obito lowered his voice even more.

"That's all you found out over the course of a year?" Shinsetsu sighed, "There sure are a lot of mysteries surrounding her," he noted.

"Yeah…We should probably head back, the cake's probably all gone by now," Obito suggested and I heard Shinsetsu grunt in response.

The rustling of trees became louder as the two made their way back towards us. I hastily released my Wolf Senses Jutsu and stared down at the one piece of cake I had managed to cut in the past few minutes. Luckily Kakashi and Rin were in the middle of a lively discussion so they didn't notice my slow and hesitant progress.

I couldn't believe that Kakashi had told Obito any information at all. Granted it wasn't a lot but it was enough to make Shinsetsu dig for more answers. If Kakashi had already cracked about what little information he knew concerning me just because Obito had annoyed him, then how was I ever supposed to trust him with the whole truth?

My right hand that held the knife began to shake. I glanced over at Kakashi who was seated on my left. He was looking at me; I could almost see the wheels in his head working as he was trying to piece together why I was acting so strange. I quickly looked back at the cake and forced my unsteady hand to cut another slice.

Kakashi's calloused hand was suddenly on my shoulder. I yelped and my grip slipped on the knife. I tried to catch it by the handle but I grabbed the blade with my right hand instead. The cold metal dug into my palm and I let out a cry and let go of the knife but it ended up leaving a long gash across the inside of my lower arm as it fell. I clutched my right arm with my left hand and tucked it close to my body and watched the blade fall to the ground. Stupid instinct; I'd trained myself to catch kunai knives in midair but this weapon was weighted differently.

I stared at the wounds stupidly as the blood oozed out. Obito and Shinsetsu had heard my screams and were just reaching where we sat. The wounds weren't that deep but they stung; I dared not cry in front of all of them though. I was strong and this was nothing compared to other injuries I had sustained, but there was quite a bit of blood. Maybe it was deeper than I'd thought? The sound of rushing footsteps approached me and Rin sat down beside me.

"I can heal these," she told me calmly.

I held out my palm so that she had a clear view of the cut. She placed both of her hands over top of my palm; her index fingers and thumbs touching. Rin closed her eyes and I watched as her hands turned green and the cut slowly healed and disappeared without a trace. She removed her hands and I stared in awe at the lack of a scar; all that remained was some partly dried blood. I clenched and unclenched my hand to make sure that it wasn't an illusion.

"Thank you," I muttered to Rin.

"I'm not done. Didn't you get a cut on your lower arm?" Rin reached for my arm but I seized her wrist.

She looked at me, slightly confused and surprised.

"Can I try?" I asked.

She nodded, "Just think about healing every single tissue and sealing the cut," Rin's eyes told me that she didn't think I could do it.

I'd do it alright, even without having used my Sharingan to copy it. My mother had only been able to teach me the basics of Healing Jutsus before she died but I remembered her lessons quite vividly. However, I hadn't used that type of Jutsu since I was four because it caused too many painful memories.

I flipped my arm around to reveal the gash on my lower arm. This one was definitely deeper and all eyes were placed expectantly on me. Kakashi was peering over my shoulder at my injury, which, had it been anyone else, I would've moved away because they were too close. I let out a shaky breath and raised my left hand above the wound. I closed my eyes and focused my chakra through my hand and into the cut. Once I felt my chakra had completely surrounded the gash, I concentrated on healing the tissue in the deepest point of the gash. Next, I focused on repairing the second layer of tissue and the one after that and so on and so forth. I could picture the cut healing just like it had on my palm. I opened my eyes slowly once I was pretty sure I had healed it and moved my left hand out of the way. The wound had completely disappeared.

Four pairs of eyes darted between me and the place where my cut had been. Rin sat there, staring, open mouthed.

"Impossible, you haven't had any training," she whispered incredulously.

"Your instructions are all the training I need in order to master this small Jutsu," I smiled and looked at the astonished gazes of my friends.

I regretted lying but I didn't want to have to explain anything about my parents. I tried to divert their attention away from me by proceeding to wash the remaining blood from my hands and cutting the rest of the cake, using a different knife that I found in the basket.

"Cake's ready guys, dig in!" I said pointing to the pastry.

They all turned their attention to the cake, except for Kakashi. I felt his gaze boring into my back as I grabbed a piece of cake. It was extremely intense, almost angry… I could feel all of his unanswered questions in that gaze. I turned my head towards him in a defiant way and put a nasty look in my eye. I mouthed '_What_?' and he just shrugged and finally looked away. I glanced back at my piece of cake, I wasn't really that hungry and the Healing Jutsu had left me slightly drained.

"So Squad 7, what's your mission?" Shinsetsu asked while reaching for another slice of cake.

"We have to sneak behind enemy lines and destroy a bridge that is used for transporting supplies to the Earth shinobi. If we do that, then the enemy will eventually run out of weapons and food and we could finish them off easily and win this war," Kakashi spoke mostly to me even though Shinsetsu had been the one who had asked the question.

"What mission were you guys given?" Rin inquired.

"We leave tomorrow to ambush a twenty-man squad from the Hidden Stone Village that has an encampment just inside our border," I explained.

"We sure have dangerous missions…" Obito said uneasily. "I wish this war was over."

"Well, it will be when we've all completed our missions to help protect Konoha," Kakashi said sharply.

I stared at Kakashi; the way he spoke made it seem like winning this war was so simple. It made me wonder if he'd actually learned _anything_ about teamwork.

"We should go. We have a little time to train before we leave tomorrow," I said directing my suggestion to Shinsetsu.

Everyone else nodded in understanding and packed up their belongings. I helped Rin fold the picnic blanket and I waved goodbye to the three of them. Shinsetsu and I headed off together in the direction of the training ground behind the Memorial Stone. Just before we reached the stand of trees, Kakashi called out.

"Make sure you always watch your back! I'd hate to see something bad happen to you!" he advised me.

I blushed and Shinsetsu made a sour face.

"I'll be careful," I promised.

Shinsetsu moved a little closer to me as we walked away. His arm was barely a millimetre away from mine so that as we walked they touched slightly. Kakashi's laugh reached my ears just before we were swallowed by the stand of trees surrounding the park.


	5. Chapter 4

Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto; all the other characters belong to me

* * *

Chapter IV: Painful Losses

Chapter IV: Painful Losses 

**(Next morning) **

A wet nose poked my cheek, followed by a slobbery lick. I opened my eyelids and a pair of big yellow eyes sat inches from my face. I sat up in my bed, forcing White Fang to jump down. No light came in through my window; it was only four in the morning. I groggily got out of bed and went over to my dresser. I ran my fingers through my knotted hair as I picked out my outfit. I bundled up my freshly washed clothes and trudged to the bathroom and locked the door.

Fifteen minutes later I emerged to find White Fang staring up at me from the carpet in my bedroom.

"Are you going to take me on your mission?" he asked hopefully, following me to the kitchen.

"No, it's too dangerous. I'll summon you if I need help though," I told him as I pulled a backpack out from one of the cupboards.

"Too dangerous?! I'm a wolf and your summoned creature! You signed a scroll with blood that said we would protect each other and work as a team. How are we supposed to do that when you don't take me with you?" he demanded, watching as I moved about the room, stuffing food and bandages in the bag.

"You won't unless I summon you and I'll only summon you if I think we need help. Besides, it's only twenty ninja; I could take care of them easily," I said smugly.

"You don't know that; the only full fledged ninja you've ever fought are Yoko-sensei and Minato-sensei," the wolf whispered worriedly.

"I have advanced skills with basically every Jutsu which makes me superior than most shinobi in our village. Besides, I do have special abilities that no one else has; our enemies won't expect it if it comes to that," I glared at White Fang; he could be so overprotective.

"You know you can't use the Transformation Jutsu!" he growled at me.

"I know that! I'd only use it if I thought our situation was hopeless. Even then, you know I can't control my form sometimes…" I looked at White Fang solemnly.

"I know… You have to promise me that you'll be careful though," his yellow eyes pleaded with all their might.

I sighed; why did I have to promise everyone that I'd be careful? It wasn't like I was reckless like Yuki.

"I already promised Kakashi but I'll make you the same promise if it'll make you feel better," I snarled at him.

White Fang's wolf behaviour had rubbed off on me over the years. He had been my pet since I was an infant and had ended up being more of a father figure in my life, but also a very good friend. White Fang sighed loudly.

"Sometimes you have such an attitude," he shook his head in disapproval.

I patted the top of his head, "I'm sorry, I promise to be careful. I have to grab a few extra weapons and then I'm gone."

The wolf padded after me as I went to the closet to fetch some kunai and shuriken.

I arrived at the meeting point at the same time as Yuki and Shinsetsu. Yuki looked grumpier than usual; that would be a treat once we started our trek to the enemy ninja camp. Yoko-sensei was already there and was leaning against a tree. He wore dark, round sunglasses today so that I couldn't read his eyes. The atmosphere was oddly quiet; everyone was tired. Yoko stared at us for a moment as we stood before him and without any further instructions, he picked up his backpack and started heading for the only exit the village had. The rest of us watched him walk for a bit before proceeding to settle our own bags on our backs and then rushed after him.

No one started talking until an hour after sunrise; then again, Shinsetsu was the only one talking. He was blabbing on and on about how cool it was that we were on a life or death mission. Yuki just groaned and sulked at the back of the line while Yoko-sensei tried to convince Shinsetsu that he shouldn't take missions like this so lightly. He finally had to give up when Shinsetsu persisted to yammer on and countered all of our sensei's arguments. I ignored whatever words continued to pour out of his mouth and focused on different situations that could happen when we reached the ninja encampment.

A few hours later we stopped to rest and eat in a small clearing. At least Shinsetsu had to stop talking in order to eat and not choke. Even Yuki seemed to perk up a little once he had fully woken up and gotten some food in his system. Once we'd all finished Yoko-sensei explained how we were going to infiltrate the camp.

"We'll walk in single file from now on. Reicheru will lead us using her acute senses and I'll bring up the back. You two can walk in whatever order you choose. If we end up being surrounded, use the Substitution Jutsu to get out of danger and then use the Shadow Clone Jutsu. We'll surround them instead and hopefully catch them a little off guard. If that doesn't happen then we'll get in formation and when I give the signal to attack use whatever Jutsu you want, just make sure that you kill all of them," Yoko-sensei looked at us sternly.

He packed up his lunch and started heading away from the clearing and we all quickly followed suite. I took up the lead and made the hand signs for my Wolf Senses Jutsu. Shinsetsu walked behind me and started talking again. Yuki followed, sighing periodically at the stupidity of his team mate while Yoko followed behind us silently. He was on full alert and scanned the forest around us periodically. I could tell by his body language that he was nervous about our safety and was wondering if we were ready for this.

By mid-afternoon we had almost arrived at the camp. Shinsetsu's yammering was starting to get on my nerves and if we weren't careful, he would give away our position. The camp's smell was growing stronger even though I couldn't see it. I whipped around and clamped my hand over Shinsetsu's mouth. He shut up immediately and blushed slightly at my touch.

"I can smell the camp. We need to be careful as we proceed; Stone ninja could be hiding anywhere," I said and removed my hand from his mouth.

Yoko nodded and we continued quietly through the forest. I decided to jump up into the trees; we'd have a better view from up there. We leapt from branch to branch, tree to tree for a few more miles. The camp's smell became overwhelming and I was forced to release the Wolf Senses Jutsu.

"The camp is just on the other side of this clearing," I said, pointing ahead.

The clearing seemed safe enough. I couldn't see any footprints, but that didn't seem right. There should be some footprints with a camp full of ninja nearby; they had to have sentries or something wandering around. I didn't sense any human presence but– a flash of light caught my eye. Was that a piece of thread?

"Come on! Let's go, there's nothing dangerous," Yuki said as he leapt over my head. "I want to beat these guys up," he landed in the middle of the clearing, right on top of the string.

"No Yuki! There's a trap!" I screamed but it was too late.

A kunai attached to a nearby tree whizzed into view.

**Whump **

Yuki fell backwards; the kunai embedded in his chest.

"No!" I screeched and without thinking, jumped into the clearing.

Stupid idea, Yoko and Shinsetsu leapt after me. I knelt beside Yuki; he quivered from the pain and his eyes seemed to have a little trouble focusing.

"Look up," he croaked, spewing blood.

I slowly lifted my head; I could sense them, but it was too late now. My eyes widened in fear as I counted them; there were at least a hundred Stone ninja encircling us. I stood and pulled a kunai knife out of my equipment holster. The three of us took up a defensive formation around Yuki.

"Well that sure wasn't hard. I'd heard that the Land of Fire was low on shinobi; but to send Genin to assassinate a hundred Rock ninja…" the troop leader shook with laughter.

I was scared; there were too many for us to take down alone. My planning beforehand hadn't included a hundred ninja. Twenty was already a challenge as much as I hadn't wanted to admit it earlier.

"Come on men, we can finish them off easily and then infiltrating Konoha will only be so much easier," the man smirked and pulled out two kunai from his holster.

I understood their plan as the other ninja pulled out two kunai each. They were going to throw them all at the same time. I glanced over at Shinsetsu and Yoko-sensei; they'd figured it out as well. There was no way we could avoid two hundred kunai knives being thrown at us from all directions. I gulped and prepared my stance, bringing my weapon in front of my face defensively.

Every ninja pulled their arms back and threw the weapons they held. The only thought that registered in my brain was, _protect my squad_. I flung my arms over Shinsetsu and Yuki hoping to protect them from any injury. I couldn't reach Yoko-sensei but there was nothing I could do about that. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the feeling of sharp metal to pierce my skin.

My roar of pain echoed in the suddenly quiet clearing. I slowly opened my eyes and looked down at the three horrified faces of my team mates. With a jolt I realized that I'd done what White Fang had specifically told me not to do; I'd transformed into a dragon.

I heard the gasps of shock from the Rock ninja as they froze in their spots in the trees. I ignored them; the point was that I had protected my squad with my wings. My wings! My beautiful red and yellow wings had been punctured with the majority of the thrown kunai while my scaled body had deflected the rest. I shook my wings to dislodge the kunai knives that were embedded in them. There was a lot of blood and the wounds stung badly but they were the least of my worries. My Sharingan was now visible and no movement went unnoticed. My other eye I knew had turned black instead of keeping its blue shade. Now all of these enemy ninja knew my secret and they had to be disposed of quickly. If any information got out about me, I'd be targeted and destroyed. I folded my tender wings against my body and gazed down at my squad.

"Please help me kill them," my black and red eyes pleaded with Yoko-sensei and Shinsetsu.

They gulped, nodded and prepared their stances. I turned my head towards the Rock ninja leader; my horns glinting threateningly in the sun.

"You'll pay for what you've done to my team mate," I growled at him.

The ninja beside him began to tremble.

"Perhaps," the leader said with an evil grin as he pulled out another kunai. "Attack!"

The ninja leapt at us from their perches in the trees. I sat up on my haunches and blew a giant fireball as I turned my head. Fifty ninja were burnt to a crisp instantly. Their remains fell to the ground but that didn't seem to stop the rest of them from attacking. The sound of metallic ringing caused me to whip my head around. Yoko-sensei was fighting with his kunai while Shinsetsu had finally started to use some of his Lighting Jutsu that his clan was famous for.

A ninja took advantage of my distraction to try and gauge out one of my eyes. I turned my head slightly and opened my jaws. I caught his body and pierced it with hundreds of sharp teeth. The ninja went limp instantly and I spat out the corpse, careful to avoid tasting the blood. I'd be sick if I did swallow some.

Three ninja ran towards me on the ground. They simultaneously flung their kunai at my throat. I moved my head slightly and the weapons hit three other ninja that had been trying to jump me from some trees behind me. I turned my attention back to the three men in front of me. I forced the sharp blade out of my tail and swung it around. Their heads rolled to the ground before they'd even realized what I was doing. Their blood stained the sharp bone but I quickly dug it into another ninja's chest.

The sound of grass crunching under hurried feet caught my attention. Three other Rock ninja were trying to run away by taking to the forest. I reached out and grabbed two in my hands and the third in my tail. I squeezed the ones in my hands until my claws went right through their tiny bodies. My tail tightened around the third until he could no longer breathe and he toppled over.

I dropped the corpses and looked around; no more ninja were daring to pick a fight with me. I turned around and saw Yoko and Shinsetsu fighting back to back. They were encircled by the last forty or so ninja.

I winced as I opened my wings. I pushed off the ground with my legs, sending me as high as the tree tops. I was only able to keep myself aloft for a few seconds because of the pain I felt as the air beat against my injuries. I fell back down and was able to land on a few Rock ninja, crushing their skulls. Those who still moved I dug my claws into. Their loud screams frightened me but I had to ignore them; I needed to find the troop leader.

Yoko-sensei and Shinsetsu had separated and were fighting different battles now. I watched as Shinsetsu stabbed one ninja and then protected himself against another. While he was occupied I noticed a third running at him from a blind spot; his kunai was pointed at my comrade's throat. I shot my tail out in front of the guy and he hit it full force with his stomach. He fell on his hands and knees and gasped for air. I brought my tail around and jabbed the blade into his back and heard the sickening crack as I severed his spine.

Shinsetsu whirled around to face me after he'd finished off the ninja he'd been fighting. He smiled his thanks up to me and I gave him a toothy grin right back.

**Whump**

A kunai landed in my unscaled arm. I roared angrily and Shinsetsu flung a knife at the ninja who was the source of my pain. Shinsetsu's weapon pierced the man's skull and he crumpled to the ground. I yanked the kunai out of my arm and chucked it at another unsuspecting ninja. By then Shinsetsu was preparing to face off against a dozen shinobi who were heading towards us.

"Earth Style, Earth Prison Suffocation Jutsu!" he called out as he made the hand signs.

Mud shot up from the ground like it had when he had used a similar Jutsu on me the year before. The columns of mud intertwined and snagged the ninjas' limbs. I watched in astonishment as the mud continued its snake like behaviour until it covered the ninjas' faces. Shinsetsu waited as the mud hardened and then released his Jutsu. The men fell to the ground and did not stand.

Shinsetsu sat down, panting. He'd used a lot of chakra which was a very unusual thing for him. I forced the blade back inside my tail and encircled it protectively around him. He glanced up at me, startled; he'd obviously seen how I'd strangled that Rock ninja.

"It's okay," I cooed to him.

He sighed and leaned against my tail. I looked over at Yoko-sensei who was battling the last handful of ninja. He'd killed many already and as a result, I could see his chakra draining.

"Yoko-sensei! Get out of the way!" I yelled to him.

He didn't even look back as he jumped to the side. I took a deep breath and blew a jet of flame at the enemy ninja. They met the same fate as the ones who had first encountered my fireball.

I scanned the area for anymore live ninja, but I couldn't sense any. I analysed the bodies of the ninja we'd killed but could not find the one that belonged to the troop leader. I sighed; he'd gotten away and there was nothing I could do about it.

I transformed back into my human form. Shinsetsu stared in awe as my giant lizard body became that of a thirteen year old girl. He looked longingly at my tail as his back support disappeared from around his body. My hair returned and my bangs hid my Sharingan once again. I stared at my sandals since I didn't want anyone to see my face. Yoko walked up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"You did well," he said calmly.

I looked up; his eyes showed no hint of fear, even behind his sunglasses. I nodded and then grimaced as a shock of pain went up my arm. I glanced down at the bleeding cut from the ninja's kunai. I brought my hand over the injury and concentrated on healing the tissue at the deepest point of it. The green chakra flowed from my hand and I watched as the wound disappeared in a matter of seconds. Yoko stared at me in awe; that was the first time he'd seen me use a Healing Jutsu.

A groan from the opposite end of the clearing startled us all. Yuki! I was the first one at his side. He was clutching at the kunai in his chest. My eyes began to sting with the threat of tears. I gently tugged the knife from his chest and he gasped in pain. The wound was deep; I figured that the knife had even penetrated his lungs. I didn't know enough about Healing Jutsus to heal a vital organ.

"Can you heal him?" Yoko asked his eyes full of worry for his pupil.

"I don't know… It's deep plus it's his lungs that have been affected…I don't think the Healing Jutsu Rin taught me is right for this. I can try though," I said, my voice cracking with emotion.

"Shinsetsu, help me check that all of these men are actually dead," Yoko-sensei nodded his head towards the bodies laying around us.

Shinsetsu stood and followed Yoko; giving me some space to work.

I focused all of my attention on the wound. I placed both of my hands overtop of the injury and thought about the different tissues. I realized with a pang that I had no idea what the lung or muscle tissue looked like. Yuki was doomed because of my incompetence. The only way to save him was to get him to the medical ninja back at the village, and promptly.

"It's okay if you can't…" Yuki tried to focus on my face.

"No, I can try. You'll live!" my voice was unstable and my hands began to shake.

Yuki sighed, "Just do what you can…" he closed his eyes.

I nodded; all that I could do was heal the skin tissue so that the blood would stop oozing out. There would still be damage and internal bleeding; he would die… Tears trickled down my cheeks and landed on Yuki's cheek. He opened his eyes a tiny bit.

"I figured…that there would be a slim chance you would know…how to do this... It's my fault anyway," he smiled a sad smile.

"No it's not. I could've stopped you from going into the clearing. I could've thrown a kunai and knocked the other out of the way. I could've protected you better… It's all my fault!" the tears began to pour down my cheeks and I hiccupped periodically.

I had to get control of myself. A shinobi was not supposed to show emotion.

Yuki raised a weak hand to my face and wiped away the tears.

"It's okay, I've accepted it…It's…not your fault anyway. I was reckless and stupid… I deserve to die," he coughed up more blood and I had to strain my ears so I could hear him.

He closed his eyes once more and I held his hand in mine. Tears flooded my cheeks once again.

"Thank you…for trying. Watch over…Shinsetsu and Yoko-sensei for me…" his voice died off.

I watched silently as his chest stopped rising with the intake of breath. His hand went limp in mine and I laid it down beside him. I sat there quietly, trying to stop my tears.

"Reicheru! Behind you!" Shinsetsu yelled from the middle of the clearing.

I spun around on my knees. The leader of the Rock ninja was emerging from the ground a few feet away from me. He held a kunai in his right hand, directed right at my heart.

"Die dragon!" he hissed and I froze.

My eyes widened in fear as he lunged and I brought my arms up in front of me protectively. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain.

It never came. I heard someone gasp in front of me. My eyes snapped open.

Shinsetsu had somehow managed to make it to my side it time and had thrown himself in front of me. The leader was as shocked as I was.

"Lightning Shock Jutsu!" Shinsetsu moaned as he pointed at the ninja and lightning shaped chakra burst out of his hand.

The man was thrown backwards a few feet. He lay unmoving but I could tell that he wasn't dead. Shinsetsu collapsed onto his side.

"Shinsetsu!" I cried as I gently flipped him onto his back.

The leader had actually thrown two kunai knives instead of the one I'd seen. One had hit Shinsetsu in the chest while the second was embedded in his gut. Blood poured from both gashes.

"No, no, no. NO!" I cried shaking my head.

Shinsetsu coughed up blood and looked up at me apologetically. I wouldn't allow him to die too; it wasn't an option.

I glared at the Rock ninja leader as he began to stir. How dare this man kill my team mates. My hands began to shake and I clenched them into fists. I ground my teeth as I heard the ninja groan as he struggled to his feet. A growing feeling of hate boiled inside me and a voice sounded in the back of my head. It was angry and snarled dangerously. No, I couldn't lose control now, not when Shinsetsu was about to die. Bad choice of words; the pure dragon instinct part of my brain exploded. I stood up and involuntarily transformed into the dragon. This time my eyes narrowed into slits and my one blue eye turned black again. This dragon I did not control. I'd transformed into this dragon only once before, a few years ago… I could only regain control once it had accomplished its goal: kill the Rock ninja.

I glared back at the man I hated most in this world. Smoke rose from my nostrils and I roared causing him to take a few steps back until he was cornered against a tree. There was no way he could escape; no way would I _let _him escape. I swung my bladed tail around and decapitated him. No, I still wasn't satisfied. I picked up his body and tore it to shreds with my teeth and claws. The sound of ripping flesh from bone seemed to satisfy my dragon's consciousness. Once I had finished, I looked down at the bloody mess in front of me and then at my gory claws. I felt my eyes return to normal and the angry, instinct driven monster disappeared into the recesses of my brain. I was appalled at what I had done. I turned around to see Yoko staring at me with a horrified expression on his face. He was rooted to the spot in fear. I ignored him and returned to my human form. I rushed back to Shinsetsu's side and knelt down beside him.

"I don't think I've seen something so frightening and awesome at the same time," Shinsetsu laughed and ended up choking on his blood before it spewed out of his mouth.

"It's amazing that you can joke in such a condition," I said, smiling sadly.

Shinsetsu started to laugh again but groaned in pain as he jostled the knives in his stomach and chest.

"Please, don't move too much; you'll only make it worse," I pleaded with him as I ran my fingers through his dark brown hair in an effort to calm him.

"Are you okay?" he asked as his eyes began to reflect the pain he was feeling.

"Of course not; you're dying and there's nothing I can do about it! Yuki's already dead and I'm a monster…" I began to weep.

"Hush. You're not a monster…and don't blame yourself," he choked out as he raised his hand and pressed it to my cheek.

I covered his hand with mine and closed my eyes as the tears continued to fall. I felt his body tremor and I opened my eyes; he was clutching at the kunai in his chest with his other hand.

"I'm so sorry… If I'd just paid a little more attention…" I couldn't finish.

"No, it still…would've turned out this way," he smiled sadly. "This is as fitting an end as any; saving the girl I love…" Shinsetsu watched my expression as he dropped the bomb.

I smiled weakly and squeezed the hand he had pressed against my face.

"Take care of yourself," he whispered. "I'll always love you…"

His last sentence was barely audible but I knew that his words were sincere. Shinsetsu's eyes clouded over and the slowly began to close. For the second time that day I felt a hand go limp in mine. I held his hand a little longer.

"I'm sorry I didn't love you the way you loved me… If there was no Kakashi then you would be the one I would've given my heart to," I admitted to the corpse.

I laid his hand across his chest and wiped away my tears as I heard Yoko-sensei approach me from behind.

"We should go now, our mission is complete. All one hundred ninja are dead or burnt to a crisp thanks to you," his voice was thick with emotion as he stood a few feet away from me; too frightened to come nearer.

"May I cremate the bodies?" I asked without looking at my sensei.

"Of course," he said quietly.

"We have to stand in the trees so that the flames won't hurt us," I informed him turning around.

"Of course," he repeated and he leapt into the forest.

I looked down at the bodies of my comrades. Their headbands shone proudly in the sun, unsoiled even though there had been a large amount of blood spilled around them. I untied Shinsetsu's blue headband from around his head and Yuki's black one from around his neck. I stuffed them in my thigh holster and then leapt into the tree closest to me.

I scanned the clearing once again; the bloody bodies frightened me. I knew my Cremation Jutsu would take a good chunk of my chakra since it was such a big clearing. It didn't matter, I had a lot to spare and I had to make sure that nobody stole information from the bodies. Besides, Yuki and Shinsetsu deserved a proper funeral. Transforming into a dragon didn't use any chakra since it was like a second body to me and even when I breathed fire in my dragon form it didn't use any chakra unless I added something to it.

"Fire Style, Cremation Jutsu," I spoke quietly and solemnly as I made the hand signs.

The giant flames emerged from my lips and I made sure that they reached the extremities of the clearing. I let the flames burn the bodies for a few minutes and I stared at the only two I cared for. Yoko cleared his throat from somewhere nearby; we'd spent enough time here. I stopped the stream of fire and watched as the embers continued to burn.

"Water Style, Water Jet Jutsu," this time water emerged from my palms and doused the whole area.

Steam rose from the hot embers and I waited until the charred ground was visible. I felt my energy drain from my body at an alarming rate.

"Let's go," Yoko muttered.

I stopped the water and turned to follow him, leaping from tree to tree.

By the time we reached the village entrance the sun had almost completely set. A few other squads were returning from their missions at the same time. I noticed that a couple of them were missing members too. The young ninja belonging to those groups looked solemn and stared at their shoes as they followed their senseis'. I glanced up at Yoko; he'd realized the same thing.

"What do we do now?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

"You will not tell anyone about what really happened in the forest. I'm going to report directly to the Hokage and see what he wants to do with you. I'll meet you in the clearing behind the Memorial Stone tomorrow morning," Yoko-sensei was very stern and he didn't look at me as he spoke.

"The Hokage already knows," I snapped.

"I'm sorry, don't worry. I'm going to request that he make you a Jounin or even an ANBU. You have enough skills and since you don't have a squad to go on missions with anymore-" Yoko cut himself off when he saw the pained look on my face. "Go home Tatsue," he said forcing a smile.

I nodded looking at my shoes. I didn't want to face White Fang, not just yet. I walked away slowly in the direction of the Academy's park.

My cherry tree cast strange shadows in the dim light as I approached it. I wanted to climb up and sit in its comforting branches but waves of sadness prevented me. The fight in the clearing kept replaying in my mind and kept tormenting me. Plus the Jutsus I'd used had zapped all of my chakra and left me with no strength that would help me climb. I dropped my backpack and rested my back against the smooth bark. I slid to the ground and pulled my legs to my chest and rested my head on top of them. The tears came slowly at first and then turned into an angry waterfall.

I'd been sitting there for a half hour before I heard _his_ voice. He was coming from the direction of the village entrance. I froze; I didn't want him to see me like this. I was covered in blood from the fight and crying; something he'd never seen me do before.

Too late to run; he'd just entered the park. Kakashi spotted me at the base of the tree easily without the help of the remaining sunlight.

"There you are! The sentries at the gate told me you'd returned from your mission a little while ago. Guess what? While you were gone the Hokage made me a Jounin! How cool is that?"

I was silent for a few seconds too long.

"That's great Kakashi, congratulations," I sniffled.

"Are…are you crying?"

I could just barely make out the astonished look on his face.

"No!" I said angrily wiping away my tears.

He sat down beside me, the armour on his arms clinking together.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

The kindness I saw in his eyes started the water works all over again.

"Come on. This isn't like you; you know you're not supposed to cry. You have to tell me what happened," he said worriedly.

I choked out the recount of the battle in the clearing; excluding the parts about me transforming into a dragon. I gave the most details about Shinsetsu and Yuki's deaths.

"They're…dead?" Kakashi couldn't wrap his mind around that concept.

I nodded, holding back a sob.

"It's all my fault. I could've done something! Everyone's dead now except for Yoko and you. There's no more training with them; they're gone!" I started to cry again.

Kakashi was obviously unsure of what to do with a sobbing girl. He sat there for a few minutes without saying anything. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around me and I turned and sobbed into his chest. He rested his masked face on top of my head as he tried to soothe me. My tears soaked through his shirt but he didn't seem to care. I fell asleep in that position.

_I stood in the middle of my house as the figures entered through the doorway. Their red eyes shone with hatred as they brandished their weapons. I watched in horror as the taller of the figures swung around a sword and cut down my father who was desperately trying to protect us. My mother, for no particular reason, screamed in pain and fell down as well. _

_I stood there, rooted to the spot and watched as a tiny figure approached me and took a jab at me with his kunai knife. I dodged it but I felt the anger growing inside me. I had no idea what was happening and before I knew it, I'd transformed..._

I woke with a jolt, suppressing the scream that was trying to burst from my throat. Morning light burned my eyes because they had not yet been given a chance to adjust. I felt something warm holding me and it took me a minute to remember that I had fallen asleep in Kakashi's arms. My body was stiff and sore from sleeping in such an odd position as well as from the battle the day before.

My eyes, now adjusted to the bright light, strained to recognize what they were seeing. My right eye could see nothing on account of my bangs covering it and my left eye could only see the white stripe on Kakashi's shoulder and that was where the sunlight had found me.

I might've enjoyed sitting in Kakashi's embrace had it not been for the memories that flooded my mind; the memories that reminded me of why I was here in the first place. Then the knowledge that Kakashi was leaving on his mission today found its way to the front of my brain. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out my thoughts and clutched at Kakashi's shirt. The movement seemed to notify him that I was awake.

"Hey," he said quietly as he moved both of his hands to my shoulders and then pushed me away slightly so that he could look at my face.

I let go of his shirt and stared at the tear stain I'd left on his right side. I didn't look at his eyes because I knew if I did, my tears would start again.

Kakashi put his gloved index finger under my chin and forced me to look at him. His eyes were full of concern for me. I was a wreck; who wouldn't be worried. Kakashi had never seen me cry before; it was a sign of weakness and I was supposed to be as tough as girls come. I tore my eyes away from him and looked at the sunrise.

"Please look at me," he commanded.

I glared back at him. He was probably just going to lecture me.

"Don't give me that look," he said jokingly.

Beneath his mask I saw his mouth twitch. I glared again; I was not in the mood for jokes. His eyes gave me an apologetic look followed by a sad one.

"I have to go now," he whispered and he analyzed my suddenly terrified face.

"You can't go! It's too dangerous! I won't lose you too!" I shouted and my left eye pleaded with his grey ones.

He looked down at me sadly and removed his finger from under my chin.

"You know I have to go; I can't leave my squad. A ninja's duty is to protect his village and the people he loves," Kakashi recited.

My heart fluttered as he said '_loves_' but not much since my heart was still poisoned with grief. His eyes smiled unhappily as he stood and pulled me up with him.

"I have to go," he repeated, looking over top of my head in the direction I assumed he had to go in order to meet his squad.

I stepped away from him and looked at my feet. He walked past me hesitantly.

"Just promise me that you'll come back," I muttered, choking back tears.

The dewy grass made squishy noises as he turned around to face me. I raised my head to meet his gaze.

"You promised me that you would return safely and you did. I'll make you the same promise," he gave me a cheerless smile.

I watched him go and I felt the tears I'd been holding back trickle down my cheeks. I stood there for a few minutes until I suddenly remembered that I had to meet Yoko-sensei and the Third Hokage in the clearing behind the Memorial Stone. I took to the trees and wiped away the tears from my face. I had to show Kakashi that I could be strong no matter what; tears would just get in the way. I promised myself that I would never cry again.

A few minutes later I stood on the ground in the copse of trees that surrounded the clearing. I sucked in a gulp of air and put on a serious face. I walked into the clearing to find Yoko-sensei and the Hokage standing on the giant rock.

A tiny movement to my left gave me advanced notice. I ducked and punched up at the ninja flying overhead. My fist caught him in the stomach and I heard him gasp just before he hit a tree beside me.

I understood; this was a test, a test to see how well I could do in battle without any notification. A test you would give a student that wanted to become a Jounin or even an ANBU. I smiled wickedly and made the hand signs for my Wolf Senses Jutsu. My advanced hearing and smell were the only senses useful to me at the moment.

I dodged every kunai and blocked every fist and kick that the shinobi sent at me. I mostly used Taijutsu to help beat the Jounin that the Third had called upon to help test me. Many of them were clones but I didn't waste my chakra by using my Sharingan to tell me which ones were which.

"Show me what you can do using your Sharingan!" the Hokage instructed.

I grimaced, that was exactly what I didn't want to do; couldn't he tell? I was doing fine without it. I sighed, and brushed my bangs behind my ear to reveal my two tomoed eye. My speed doubled and I could see the chakra network in every real ninja in the clearing. I could also tell what attack they were going to use and where it was going to land much easier.

The few shinobi I was fighting fell to the ground that much sooner. I stopped for a bit and watched as the seven ninja groaned in pain; all I'd used was Taijutsu on them.

"I want to see you as a dragon," the Hokage demanded.

I glared at him; I definitely did not want to show him that. Hadn't he seen enough already? I sighed and made the hand signs anyway and transformed into the red, white and yellow lizard.

My red and yellow wings were back to their former glory; no bloody holes remained as a reminder of the hundreds of kunai that had pierced them the day before. The white scales that covered my body glinted in the early daylight.

I swung my head around to face the Hokage. The sight of my sharp horns made him take a step backwards. I sat on my haunches so I revealed my unprotected black belly. The Third stared at me in awe.

"You sure have grown since the last time I saw you in this form," he said open mouthed.

"I can use a Jutsu that makes me even bigger," I bragged. "And I can use most Fire Jutsus without wasting much chakra," I smiled my dragon smile and my teeth glinted like daggers.

"Excellent, Tatsue; I'm extremely proud. You have passed the Jounin test and will be welcome to lead a Genin squad whenever you want. Furthermore, I want you to become an ANBU immediately. You have the most talent I have ever seen and I request that you become an ANBU leader too. I want you to be an ANBU for as long as you are physically able to carry out such demanding missions. You'll protect Konoha from many dangers that way which brings me to my last request. With your Kekkei Genkai you can protect Konoha from dangers that are more than our highest rank shinobi can handle. I want you to become our secret weapon. You could turn this whole war around single handed, but I won't use you now. The war is almost at a close; I can feel it. When we need you I'll send a red and yellow bird into the sky; a Fire Bird. You will be used as a last resort in extreme cases," the Hokage looked at me pleased. "Continue your training and see if you can invent some new Jutsus too; I know you're capable," he winked at me.

Yoko smiled at me, pleased that he had trained such a successful student. I figured I wouldn't see him much anymore. I was a Jounin now and an ANBU; I had no need for a sensei. I was completely alone now; no one from my squad left to talk to. I only had White Fang and hopefully Kakashi.

A pang of fear caused my chest to tighten and my breathing came faster. Kakashi would be fine, he was strong like me. He would survive and at least he would still be around. I loved him too much, he couldn't die.

"Report to my office in three days; I'll show you the ANBU headquarters and then you can begin your training there," he smiled once more at me and scanned the clearing; making eye contact with every ninja.

They all nodded in understanding; they were not to repeat a single thing they'd heard or seen in this clearing. Every shinobi jumped into the trees to go about their own business; leaving me alone once again.

Kakashi would be back from his mission late tomorrow night; I'd see him again… I sighed; it was time to return home and face White Fang. He'd be furious, surprised and happy for me all at once. He probably thought I'd been injured since I hadn't gone home the night before. Oh well, I could withstand the wolf's anger; it never lasted long anyway.

I transformed back to my human form and turned towards the trees. I walked home slowly as the beautiful pinks and purples disappeared from the sky as the sun finished rising.

The next day passed very slowly as I waited impatiently for nightfall when Kakashi had said he would return.

I'd spent the rest of the day before at home with White Fang, resting and then explaining and repeating my story. I kept on tearing up as I retold my adventure but I remembered what I'd told myself back at the cherry tree…

I did chores around my house to help pass the time. My house was situated in the residential area nearest the Hokage's office and manor. It was a pretty big house for just one person and all the rooms were quite large. My front yard was fairly big; various flowers grew in flower beds while bonsai trees lined the walkway up to my front door. There was a fence that separated my backyard from my neighbours' but there was no barricade directly behind my house. The forest lay behind my house and I'd never put up a fence so that White Fang could come and go as he pleased.

I did my best to keep my mind occupied throughout the day but it would eventually slip into thoughts about Kakashi and those thoughts turned into worries.

About half way through the day, I'd finished my chores. Exasperated, I decided to take a nap to calm my nerves. White Fang followed me as I trudged to my bedroom. I snuggled under my white sheets and closed my eyes. I heard White Fang sigh as he lay down on the white carpet beside my bed.

Taking a nap turned out to be a bad idea. As soon as I drifted off to sleep; the nightmares began. One minute Kakashi would be holding me close and telling me how much he loved me and the next I was running through the forest searching frantically for him. I'd find him but he'd be lying in a pool of blood, covered in deep gashes. I'd bend down to check for a pulse but he'd be ice cold. Then I'd scream as the Reaper came to collect his soul. It was the scream that woke me.

I sat upright in bed, sweating and panting. I looked down at the carpet to the right of my bed. White Fang had his paws on top of his head, protecting his ears. His yellow eyes scanned mine worriedly.

"He'll be fine," White Fang assured me as he put his paws back on the floor.

I nodded and noticed that the room looked absurdly dark. I glanced out the window to my left; it was night and the moon shone clearly in the darkness. Kakashi could be back by now!

I threw off my covers and swung my legs over the right side of my bed. Luckily I was still dressed but my clothes were wrinkled. I ran to the front door and pulled on my black sandals. I rushed out the front door and I thought I heard White Fang ask me if he could come but he already knew the answer.

I stumbled a few times in the darkness and I made the hand signs for my Wolf Senses Jutsu. Now all three advanced senses were put to good use. It was as clear as day in my eyes and my nose was stuffed with every scent that surrounded me for a few miles. My ears picked up on every tiny noise; the break of a twig, the sound of a firefly's wings, etc.

I slowed my speed as I neared the entrance to the village. The entrance guards stood on either side of the gate as shinobi and villagers entered. Another couple of ninja sat at a foldable table a little ways away from the entrance. A clipboard with paper and a box sat on top of it.

I knew immediately what they were for. When a squad re-entered the village they had to report their mission and record the casualties. The mission leader could either do that at the table or go directly to the Hokage's office, as Yoko had done. The clipboard was there for that exact purpose whereas the box was used for collecting items that belonged to the deceased. These items would be placed in their coffins before they were buried.

My right hand reached into my holster and felt for the two headbands I'd taken. They were still there, tucked in with my Summoning Scroll.

I looked up as a Jounin walked towards the table. He bent down and wrote in the column on the right of the piece of paper; the column that was solely for the purpose of reporting the mission. He left after that and his Genin followed him with smiles on their young faces.

That could've been my group if everything had gone according to plan. A pang of sadness and guilt stabbed at my chest. I ignored it and kept my gaze on the entrance.

A flood of people were coming in now; mostly villagers who worked on farms just outside of the village gates. I waited impatiently for any sign of silver hair…

I stood there for a few more hours and watched as people came and some went. Occasionally a Jounin would walk up to the table a few feet away from me and write on the clipboard. I noticed, sadly, that a couple of them scribbled names down in the left column. For those select few I watched the emotions on the squad members' faces; a reflection of my own.

Another half hour passed and I waited, getting more and more anxious every second. Did it really take this long to return from Earth Country?

A flash of yellow caught my eye; finally! Minato-sensei's spiky yellow hair was in a bloody disarray as he approached the table. He looked distracted and he didn't even notice me as he advanced. Was it because I blended in with the crowd rushing past me? No, Minato never let anything distract him and seeing him in such a state made my heart race with worry. Where was the rest of his squad?

Minato stopped once he reached the table and stared at the woman for a moment. I was glad I had my wolf senses activated or I wouldn't have been able to overhear their conversation.

"Was your mission successful?" asked the lady.

"Yes, I completed mine fairly quickly without a hitch…I can't say the same for Kakashi though…" Minato muttered.

NO!

"What happened?" the woman's face fell at the look on the Jounin's face.

"Well we split up into two teams later on to complete two separate missions. Kakashi led the other group and apparently it didn't go very well," Minato said quietly.

"Did he at least accomplish the mission?" asked the kunoichi hopefully.

Stupid girl! All she cared about was that the mission had been successful!

"Yes, but there were…casualties," Minato-sensei said, distracted once again.

"Oh, that's terrible to hear. Will Kakashi be coming here to record them?" she asked with a less chipper tone.

"He can't... I'll do it for him," Minato started scribbling words in both columns.

I was frozen in shock as I listened to those last few sentences. There were many casualties, including Kakashi's, that's why he couldn't come and report. He was dead.

I felt my heart break. Pain shot through me again as I thought of all the possible ways that he could've been killed. I shook my head angrily, trying to clear it. Tears welled up in my eyes and began to spill over. I rubbed them angrily, I was breaking my promise. I couldn't help it though, everything inside me felt like it had shattered and hurt terribly.

He was gone and never coming back…

I whirled around and ran home, choking back tears all the way. I shoved my door aside and ran to my room. I startled White Fang who had been sitting in the kitchen. He dashed after me trying to follow me in my room but I slammed the door in his face. He figured out what had happened. I heard him whimper once and then groan as he lay down in front of my door; guarding it.

I turned my back to the door and slid down until I sat on my wood planked floor. My eyes stung a thousand times worse than they had before.

Kakashi had broken his promise to me; why couldn't I just this once? I fell sideways and let the waterworks begin…


	6. Chapter 5

All characters belong to me except the ones that Masashi Kishimoto created for Naruto

* * *

Chapter V: The Perfect Gift

Chapter V: The Perfect Gift

**(Eight months later) **

I sat in my cherry tree once again, watching the young Academy students play. Today I turned fourteen but I wasn't happy.

A little more than half a year had passed since Kakashi's death. I had long since finished my mourning for him but it had caused me to become a different person in the process. I'd become much more serious and I avoided people as much as possible. During training, I focused on becoming stronger so that I could crush any enemy that crossed my path. I would not be taken by surprise again.

The day after Kakashi died I'd scoured the village for Obito and Rin. I'd thought about asking Minato but he had just been chosen as the next Hokage and I didn't want to bother him. I asked around the village instead and the kunoichi who'd manned the table the other day informed me that they had been killed during their mission as well. I was completely alone…

I focused all of my attention on my ANBU training when it started the day after.

I'd walked to the hidden training grounds that the Third had given me directions to and some ANBU guards showed me in. They'd looked at me oddly since I was so young but that didn't last long.

That first day I was given my ANBU uniform. As soon as I entered the establishment they sat me down on a bench and gave me the swirly ANBU tattoo on my left shoulder. Then they'd handed me my black and grey uniform. I was able to wear the same sandals since mine were already black; the rest of my clothes had been replaced though. I was given black trousers and a black, skin tight armless top, a grey body cover, arm guards, black arm gloves, a Ninjaken and a mask.

I was thankful for the black gloves that covered the majority of my arms so that they hid my scars from view. Nobody knew about my scars except for the Hokage and the one nurse at the hospital since she had finished healing them after the Hokage had down what he could…

The Ninjaken was wickedly sharp and fit my hand perfectly. My mask resembled that of a wild cat or maybe a wolf, I never could tell, but it had red markings on it. It was made of porcelain and I wore it even when I trained.

An ANBU was assigned to be my teacher that first day and I'd found him a little frightening at first. His name was Gimu and he was an ANBU squad leader. I never could quite figure out what animal his mask represented but the markings were black. He made it very clear that first day that it was his duty to teach me the specific skills I needed as an ANBU and that was it. He wasn't here to be my friend and he'd told me that he would be really strict.

Fine I could live with that and I'd surprised him with how fast I could learn.

He'd taught me how to wield my sword and made me study human anatomy. By knowing all the different parts of the body an ANBU could kill someone instantly just by hitting one specific spot or make them appear dead by hitting another. It was all rather interesting.

Next, Gimu had taught me two new Jutsus; the Temporary Paralysis Jutsu and the Time Reversal Jutsu. He'd warned me that they took loads of time to learn but I'd mastered them in a week.

I'd surprised Gimu everyday with how fast I could master a skill. The only thing that had taken me a little longer to master was the Ninjaken Dances; they'd taken two weeks.

After one month of being an ANBU, Gimu realized that he'd taught me all the basics that I needed to go on missions. Plus he saw that I was ready to be an ANBU leader, just like him. He arranged the test and I passed it on my first try. My black cowl was exchanged for a white one which marked me as a leader but that was the only part of my uniform that was adjusted. I only saw Gimu occasionally in the training grounds after that.

I was sent on many missions by myself and some with a cell. Basically all the missions were assassinations of a few rebel Rock ninja who hadn't obeyed the Peace Treaty. All my missions were successful and I was overly careful to make sure that all my cell members returned safely. I tried to learn everyone's names but since I was charged with leading different members every other day it was difficult to keep track. However, after eight months I knew most of them.

The toll of a bell at the Academy announced the end of school for the day. The bell also served as a reminder that I had a giant training session in the hidden ANBU training grounds. Yeah, really great way to spend my birthday.

I leapt from my tree and landed a little off balance since the backpack I was carrying my ANBU uniform in was a little heavier than normal. I dashed away from the park, through the village and up to the mountains that protected Konoha. I climbed past the four Hokages' faces and up to a tall ledge.

An ANBU wearing a blue marked monkey mask stood with his back to the mountain face behind him. I walked forward and the man's eyes, barely visible through the mask's eye slits, twinkled as they saw me.

"Welcome, Tatsue," he said politely.

"Hello Arashi. Are you going to join this training thing today?" I asked.

"No, someone has to guard the entrance," Arashi chuckled.

"Of course. May I pass?" I glanced at the rock wall behind him.

"Hold on," he lifted his hand and touched my forehead with his index and middle finger.

He was checking to make sure that I wasn't an impostor by sending chakra waves through my body. Everyone had a different variation of chakra and Arashi had memorized them all. Once his chakra touched my own he'd be able to tell that it really was me. Nobody could replicate someone else's chakra; they were unique, like fingerprints.

Arashi removed his fingers from my forehead and moved to the side.

"Go on in; everyone's meeting in the largest training room," he made a few hand signs and a giant archway appeared in the rock wall.

I nodded and walked into the darkness that lay just beyond the doorway. The gap closed as I walked through and there was a moment of complete darkness before the lights flickered on at my approach.

The long hallway was carved out of the cool stone and it took awhile before I arrived at a circular room. Two paths lay ahead of me. A kanji symbol above the path to my left read '_women_' and I walked through the door that lay underneath it. The girl's change room lay beyond it and it gave off a very clean and welcoming feel. The rock walls were replaced with white wood panelling here and a flower border near the roof. The toilets and showers were in a room to my right while change rooms and lockers lined the walls on my left. Flowers in vases of various shapes and sizes stood on counters and pedestals everywhere. They gave the room a sweet fragrance as well as a homey feel.

There were a few ANBU in the room with me but they were heading out a door at the far end. I quickly dressed in my ANBU uniform and stuffed my backpack containing my normal clothes in a locker. I double checked that my mask, Ninjaken and weapons holster were attached securely to my body.

I headed out the door the other women had. Natural light blinded me as I stepped out into the courtyard. There was a special Jutsu placed on it that allowed us to look up at the sky but no one could see in; instead they saw a mountain peak. A giant bonsai tree surrounded by stone benches stood at the center. A few ANBU were taking their time to get to the training arena and stood nearby, chatting.

There were many rooms of various sizes for us ANBU to practice in and their doors lay on the opposite side of the bonsai tree. Some had special Genjutsus controlling them so that they adopted different environments or situations. However, the main training area was the biggest of them all and lay just beyond the courtyard.

The few ANBU who were left, whispered as I walked past, but I paid them no attention. I was already a little late and I had no need for useless rumours.

The light disappeared as I walked past the stone columns at the end of the courtyard. A long tunnel led me to the training arena I wanted.

I entered through an open archway and looked down at the rectangular arena that was roughly the same size as the Academy. Cherry wood benches encircled the room at lower and lower intervals on the side I was on until they stopped abruptly when the floor levelled. A short wood wall protected the spectators from any battle that could take place in the area. This room was made of dark wood panelling and was illuminated by small windows in the walls as well as giant lights in the tall ceiling. At the opposite end of the arena there was a raised platform with a few chairs and a podium.

I walked down the stairs towards the front of the room with the last of the ANBU right behind me. A couple hundred ANBU stood in straight lines, their full attention on the blond man standing at the head of the group.

Minato stood behind the small podium scanning the masked faces in front of him. I joined the middle line and caused a few ANBU to shift over to make room for me. Minato was silent as he watched the last of us join the group.

The last time I'd seen Minato was when I'd learned of Kakashi's death. He'd changed his name to Yondaime after gaining the post of Hokage and I found it kind of weird to refer to him as that now. I thought he did a great job as Hokage though, but I was still very fond of the Third.

Yondaime stared at me as I joined my fellow ANBU. The Third Hokage had filled him in about my position as Konoha's secret weapon but there had been no need to call on me for the past few months. The war had ended just as the Third had predicted.

Yondaime tore his gaze away from me and smiled as he addressed us all.

"Almost all the members of ANBU have been assembled here today. I have decided to hold a special training session since many of you haven't had time to practice because of all the missions dealing with the Land of Earth," his voice rang throughout the entire stadium.

I looked around at the ANBU in the room; many of them I had never seen before. They were either brand new or as Yondaime had said, been away on missions since I'd been initiated.

"Today, we will be having a sort of competition. The two-hundred and fifty ninja we have assembled here will be split into groups of fifty and positioned in different sections of the room. Every section has everything you need in order to cover your weapons with the protective juice wraps. Once everyone has completed this you will begin by fighting another ANBU from your same group. If you lose the fight, go and sit on the benches. If you win, find another partner and battle again. Continue until only one person is left. Once one shinobi from every group is left, we'll start the final battles. Anything goes in these fights; use any Jutsu or weapons you please. Be sure to stop the fight before you kill your opponent though. Just pronounce them dead and have them move off to the side. If you don't feel like staying and watching the rest of the battles if you lose, you are free to go," Yondaime finished explaining.

I sighed; this was exactly what I wanted to do on my birthday. If I lost, then maybe I would go home and relax but I didn't really see that as one of my options.

Yondaime split us up and sent us to different parts of the room. Newer ANBU eyed me curiously behind their masks. I must've looked weaker than the rest of them because of my size and age difference. I was only a head shorter than most of them…

I walked over to the table and covered my Ninjaken, kunai and shuriken in juice wraps. Shuriken weren't as aerodynamic when they were wrapped up but all I had to do was hit someone in the proper place and I could pronounce them dead.

The rest of my group finished covering their weapons and started pairing off. I was sitting on the lowest bench closest to my group when a girl with purple hair approached me. I realized that her eyes and mask's markings matched her violet locks.

"You want to fight me first?" she asked cheerfully.

"Sure," I replied in a bored tone and followed her to an unoccupied section of the room.

I pulled out a kunai and stood in a defensive position facing her.

"Begin!" Yondaime commanded from the front of the room and the girl lunged at me.

The girl was easy to beat, even for an ANBU. I used the Camouflage Jutsu to sneak up behind her and put a kunai to her neck. By then at least half of the fifty people in my group were already sitting in the stands.

An hour and a half later I found myself beating the last ANBU in my group. He wasn't as easy as the purple haired girl but after ten minutes I had him pinned to the ground with another kunai inches from his throat. The man sat down as I stood in the center of my group's section of the arena.

I caught Yondaime staring at me again. Even though I was at least two years younger than everyone else here, I had beaten them as if they were newly anointed Genin. I'd barely used any of my chakra and had found no need to use my Sharingan.

I looked over at the other groups of ninja. Two of them had completely finished but the winners were sitting on the benches too so I couldn't pick out who my next opponent might be. The other two groups had about six people left. They wouldn't take that much longer…

I walked over to a bench a little ways away from the ninja I had fought and focused on the group of fifty shinobi next to me. There were three ninja fighting together in order to speed things up. A brown haired boy with a cat mask seemed to be winning. He was fast and nimble; he would be tough to beat…

Finally, all the groups had one ninja left and Yondaime rose from his chair at the podium.

"Would the five ninja who've made it this far please step forward?"

I rose from my seat and walked towards the raised platform. The brown haired kid followed behind me but I couldn't see the other winning ANBU.

I arrived at the podium first and stood furthest to the right. The brown haired boy, who looked my age or even a little younger, stood on my left. A black haired boy and a blond girl took up positions on the brunette's left.

I studied the boy beside me and finally recognized him; his name was Tenzou. He'd become an ANBU a little bit before me but he was a couple years younger. He was said to be a genius since he had the First Hokage's DNA in him because of an experiment Orochimaru had done on him when he was little.

A flicker of movement at the far end of the line pulled my attention away from Tenzou. The last winning ANBU had joined the line.

My breath caught in my throat. The boy had silver hair almost identical to Kakashi's.

The name sent a wave of pain through my body. No, this boy was way taller than Kakashi had been and his hair was longer. His body was muscular and well defined, especially his arms. Kakashi had still had the figure of a young boy before he died. His mask hid his face perfectly too so there was no definite way… No, I couldn't allow myself to get stressed over a boy that definitely wasn't Kakashi!

I snapped my attention back to Yondaime.

"Now then, we'll have two battles happen at once so we can finish this quicker. The same rules still apply and whoever wins will advance to the next round. The ANBU that wins this competition will be revered as the best of the best and as a result will be called upon more frequently for the most dangerous missions," Yondaime looked at us severely. "Anyone can drop out now if they don't feel up to the pressure of facing nearly impossible missions," he made eye contact with each of us.

To my surprise the blond raised her hand. I heard Tenzou scoff quietly which I thought wasn't very polite.

"You can go sit with the others or leave if you want," Yondaime pointed towards the benches where some of the losers sat.

I guess she had a point. We already went on dangerous missions that even Jounin didn't dare do. To be called on for even harder missions was almost suicide. It didn't matter to me though; I had to beat everyone no matter what.

"Alright then, you two may fight over there and you two over there," Yondaime pointed at Tenzou and I and then the other two boys.

Tenzou and I walked over to the far right where I had fought before. This would be interesting; I'd studied Tenzou and he'd used Taijutsu the whole time. He could spring anything on me now.

We took up positions on opposite sides of our designated area. This time I did not pull out a kunai in advance; I needed my hands for making hand signs.

Out of the corner of my eye I realized that the stands behind me had almost completely emptied; most of the ANBU had gone home. I figured that they'd gotten bored of watching battles and had taken advantage of the break. Why waste a whole day being a spectator to a giant battle when you could go home and sleep?

Another flicker of movement notified me that the other two boys had prepared themselves for their battle.

"Begin!" Yondaime commanded.

Tenzou stood still, expecting me to make the first move while I waited for him to do the same. I decided to start since he wasn't doing anything. I quickly made the signs for my Wolf Senses Jutsu. This seemed to puzzle Tenzou since I didn't say anything aloud. He quickly made his own hand signs and I tried to decipher them.

"Wood Style, Forest Recreation Jutsu!" He cried out.

Giant trees broke through the floor boards and turned our fight into a dense forest. Some branches snaked towards me as they grew, trying to ensnare my limbs before they settled. I avoided them easily by jumping around and settled on one tree's trunk, using my chakra to keep me in place. The spectators' views were blocked slightly but I could use this forest to my advantage. With my extra sensitive hearing and smell, Tenzou wouldn't be able to hide.

"Camouflage Jutsu," I whispered and I blended into the trees.

I could hear every comment from the crowd and I blocked those out so that I could only hear the sounds within the forest.

It was barely audible, even to my ears, but the faint sound of snapping twigs and footsteps were unmistakeable.

I leapt up to a high branch in the tree I was on. I scanned the area and found Tenzou with his back to a nearby tree so that he wouldn't have to worry about me sneaking up on him. Ha, fool. I made the hand signs for my Inner Decapitation Jutsu with a minor adjustment so that I slunk into the tree's trunk instead. I whispered my intentions so that only I could hear.

It was an odd sensation; swimming around in wood, through roots and dirt until I made it inside the tree that Tenzou had his back against. I'd made no sound so he had no idea I was directly behind him. I quickly stuck one of my arms out from the tree and seized Tenzou around the neck with it, almost strangling him. With the other, I extracted a kunai from my holster and brought it to his neck.

"Got you!" I cried triumphantly pushing my head out of the trunk so that I was speaking in his ear.

I felt his body go stiff in my hold; too stiff. I looked at his face as I stepped out of the tree; he didn't move his feet to help keep his balance. I swiftly removed his mask and laid eyes on a Wood Clone he had created. I accidentally let go of my Camouflage Jutsu when the shock that I had been tricked settled in. He must've somehow heard me say that I was going to use my Inner Decapitation Jutsu and sent himself somewhere else while using a clone.

I quickly dropped the clone as I heard a kunai whiz towards me. It bounced off the tree's trunk as I dodged it and quickly remade the hand signs for my Camouflage Jutsu as Tenzou came into sight. I dashed up the tree quickly and jumped to another one a little ways away from where he was. I settled quietly on a branch and made a different set of hand signs.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," I whispered.

Five clones appeared, un-camouflaged, around Tenzou with their kunai drawn. They leapt at him and all the juice from their protective wraps leaked onto his clothes. He gave a short yell of pain just before his body transformed into a log in a cloud of smoke.

My clones stood around the log confused and then dashed off in different directions to search for him. A branch above me groaned and I spun out of the way as a kunai knife rebounded off the spot on the trunk where my heart had been a second earlier.

"You're breathing too heavy," Tenzou informed me as I crouched on another tree's branch.

I held my breath and quickly jumped around my tree quietly to throw him off. I watched as he leapt to the ground and scanned the canopy for any signs of me.

Still holding my breath, I leapt to the ground and as I did so, made the hand signs for my Inner Decapitation Jutsu. When I should've hit the ground, my feet passed right through and I continued until I was completely hidden underground. It wasn't until I was completely covered by the floor that I whispered the name of the Jutsu and I desperately hopped that he hadn't heard me.

I sensed Tenzou moving above, the sound of his footsteps drawing closer and closer. He stopped a few feet away from where I hid.

"Earth Style, Earth Cyclone Jutsu!" I twisted around in the ground and became a fast moving tornado.

I ripped and tore away at the dirt and rock around me until I reached the surface. I broke through the wood panelling in front of Tenzou at a great speed. My hand was bunched in a fist and as I spun I aimed for under his chin; he had not been expecting this. Tenzou was flown backwards with the impact and crashed through a few of the trees. I continued to spin out of control and I ordered my clones to hold Tenzou in place while I regained control.

I continued to spin away from Tenzou and destroyed the majority of the forest in the process. I stopped my mad rotation just before I hit the spectators. I hadn't really used this Jutsu before and it was a little hard to control.

I jumped from tree stump to tree stump until I landed where Tenzou lay with my clones holding him down. He held still as I approached but he looked up once I stopped in front of him. He opened his mouth to say something but yelled out in pain; I had broken his jaw. His black eyes, barely visible through his cat mask, filled with hate as they glared up at me. I pulled out a kunai from my equipment bag and pressed it to his neck.

"You're dead!" I announced, loud enough so that the whole training arena could hear.

I could feel the loathing seeping off of Tenzou as the rest of the ANBU cheered. I pulled the kunai away form his neck and offered him my left hand. He ignored it and stood on his own as a couple of medical ninja came over to examine him. He pushed past them and made his way up the steps to the exit.

I glanced over at the Hokage sitting at his podium. He was watching Tenzou as he stormed away but he saw me and smiled. He motioned for me to approach him. I glanced back at the mess I had made of my half of the arena; tree stumps and wood splinters lay everywhere. I shrugged to myself and made my way to the front of the room.

I was careful to avoid the section where the other two ANBU were fighting and I reached the little stage where the Fourth Hokage was standing.

"Well done Tatsue," he whispered down to me.

I smiled, but he couldn't see it beneath my mask and I didn't dare remove it.

I watched the rest of the match between the black haired boy and the silver haired one. The silver haired ANBU won just by using Taijutsu and I was amazed by how easy he'd made it look. One minute he was sending the black haired boy flying towards the wall and the next he was behind him, delivering the final blow. The poor guy left a dent in the floor when he landed and the medical ninja had to take him out on a stretcher.

The silver haired ANBU turned towards the Hokage and me and walked over, extremely gracefully for a boy in my opinion. His strides were long and confident as he approached. Even though I had grown in the past few months this boy was at least a head taller than me and probably a few years older. His arms were more muscular than I'd thought earlier and he obviously enjoyed the fact that our uniform had no sleeves so he could show them off. I realized that his mask was the same type of animal as mine, whichever that was, but the red markings were different. He looked down at me, sizing me up.

"Congratulations, you've made it to the final round," Yondaime was forced to speak louder as the remaining crowd cheered. "Remove the padding from all of your weapons," my mouth dropped open behind my mask.

Usually we did practice without the juice wraps but in this type of competition it was easy to get carried away and hurt your opponent if your weapons weren't covered. The silver haired ANBU glanced at me, having the same thought.

I put on a brave face and pulled out my shuriken and kunai. I took off their coverings with my back turned to the other ANBU so he did not see my hands shake slightly as I did so. I'd decided when I became an ANBU that my custom kunai would be too easy to spot and make me too recognizable so I'd decided to stick with the normal ones I received. Once I finished taking those wrappings off I reached behind my back for the handle of my Ninjaken. I unsheathed it, took off its covering and then stuck it back in its sheath. I gathered all the coverings and put them on the edge of Yondaime's stage.

When I looked over at the silver haired ANBU, he was replacing his own sword in its sheath. No matter what, I couldn't lose. I had to stay alive and keep my promise to Kakashi. Plus, maybe with being the strongest ANBU I could hunt down Kakashi's killer and extract my revenge.

"The same rules still apply in this battle. However, you are allowed to injure your opponent more severely than before," Yondaime said with a wary glint to his eye.

I nodded and walked away quickly to stand in front of the spot where Tenzou and I had fought. I made a mental not of where all the stumps and debris were so that if I was forced back, I wouldn't trip.

I turned around to face my opponent who was all the way at the other end of the arena. From this far away he seemed to be only slightly taller than an ant.

"Begin!" Yondaime cried as he sat down in his chair.

I glued my eye to the silver haired ANBU on the opposite side of the arena. Luckily I still had my Wolf Senses Jutsu working so I didn't have to waste time on making the hand signs. I brushed my hand across my mask to make sure that my bangs still covered the right eye hole. I prepared my stance waiting for him to make the first move. He did, and if I had blinked I would've missed it.

He rushed at me with blinding speed. I backed up as close to the edge of the damaged forest and dodged his punch at the last minute. He flew past me and ended up causing the wood panelling on the wall behind me to splinter under the force. I twirled and back flipped further away until I was in the middle of the arena. At least there was no forest to avoid in this area.

I threw a couple of shuriken at him as I ran but he dislodged his fist from the wall just in time to avoid them. He ran towards me again with his super fast speed and did a back flip over my head and landed in front of me. I swung my arm around in an effort to hit his chest but he brought his left hand up just in the knick of time. He grasped my fist and kicked at my shin with his right leg.

I quickly forced all of my weight onto my right leg and picked up my left so his kick just missed my knee. He wasn't expecting such a quick response so he fell forward, leaning over top of me. Our chests touched and I regained my balance quickly and kneed him in the stomach.

He coughed and groaned but he was able to jump away before I could deliver a final blow. He flipped backwards so he was past the halfway mark of the arena. He gripped his stomach and coughed a few more times.

I pulled a kunai knife out of my bag and flung it at him. He was slowed by the pain in his gut and the knife slashed his bicep and then embedded itself in the floor a few feet away.

I dodged around him and pulled the kunai out of the floor. I whipped around and just barely managed to block a blow from the silver haired ninja's own kunai. The metallic clang echoed throughout the silent training ground.

We were evenly matched for now and we bounced back and forth across the arena trying to deliver a sharp blow. Each time one of us attacked the other parried.

After a few minutes I felt his speed pick up. The attacks were coming faster and faster and I was barely able to defend myself. He stabbed for my heart and I managed to knock the kunai out of his grip. It went flying and clattered to the floor a few feet away.

I back flipped away as he reached for the knife and made a few hand signs once I landed.

"Wolf Agility Jutsu!" I cried and the boy whipped his head around to look at me.

I felt my blood rush as my teeth grew sharper and my left eye turned yellow, not that anyone could see it beneath my mask. I felt my muscles grow and strengthen and I crouched like a wolf, ready to spring. My nails had grown and become claws, ripping the material on the fingertips of my gloves and causing me to drop my kunai. This Jutsu allowed me to take on the speed and strength of the wolf and add it to my own. I'd developed this Jutsu on my own as well and White Fang had helped me master it.

A howl escaped my lips as I straightened, startling the ANBU and causing him to take a step back. I ran at him on two legs and the speed difference from before was quite remarkable. I ran a few quick circles around him before I lunged.

I swiped at his face but missed. I dropped to all fours and kicked out with my leg at the silver haired ANBU and he tripped. I did a back flip over him I clawed at his back and I heard a ripping sound. I turned around and looked at the damage I had done. I'd only been able to slice through the grey shirt he wore. The black, skin tight shirt underneath, was unharmed.

I heard something behind me and I realized that the ANBU had created a clone. I bent backwards to avoid its fist and rolled to the side as a kunai came whizzing past me. I stood and analyzed the two identical men before me. It was impossible to tell the difference but there was no way that I was going to use my Sharingan.

"Camouflage Jutsu," I said as quietly as possible, blending into my surroundings.

I dashed around them as silently as I could and leapt at the one on the left from behind. I dug my claws into his shoulders and flung myself over his head. He screamed in pain and then disappeared in a poof of smoke; knew it.

The real ANBU stared at the spot where he'd heard me land. I rolled out of the way as he shot his fist into the floor, leaving yet another dent. I stood up and stood still, waiting for him to make a move.

"Sharingan!" I stared in shock as the ANBU yelled the word.

This was definitely not Kakashi if he had Sharingan. My subconscious mind had made me believe that it was him. Stupid! I couldn't allow myself to get distracted like this.

Too late, my moment of hesitation had given the ANBU the perfect opening. He punched me right in the stomach and sent me flying into the lower wall that protected the other ANBU from our fight.

The wind was knocked out of me and I fell to the ground on my hands and knees. I let go of the Camouflage Jutsu and the Wolf Agility Jutsu. I coughed and choked, clutching at my stomach. I shakily lifted up my mask just enough so that my mouth was visible. I threw up blood and vomit in a messy pile in front of me.

I replaced my mask and stood, wobbling. I saw the ANBU race towards me, fist pulled back, ready to strike. I was too weak to move out of the way and his fist struck my mask. The beautiful ceramic crumbled to pieces but absorbed the shock of the punch so that my face was uninjured.

I was looking down so my hair covered my face. The ANBU's fist still hovered millimetres from my forehead. I watched as the pieces of my mask slowly fell to the ground. It honestly didn't matter now if anyone saw my real face. We were all ANBU here so they would find out eventually, plus we were all sworn to secrecy about our identities anyway.

I looked up at the ANBU's face as the pieces of my mask hit the floor. To my surprise the ANBU dropped his fist and took a step back. He seemed surprised and I used that to my advantage.

"Kihap!" I screamed as I kicked him hard in the chest with my right leg.

He flew about ten feet in the air and then crashed down. His armour and sword made awful scratching noises as he slid on his side across the floor.

I looked down at him. His speed was too fast for me now since he was using Sharingan; why not use mine? These ANBU would eventually learn that I had it too. They didn't have to know why I had it or why my right eye was the only one that contained it. I couldn't call on my Sharingan, it was always there. That's why I always kept it covered with my bangs so I wouldn't waste all of my chakra.

The boy slowly stood up, but he seemed to stare at me with disbelief. He was hesitant to make the next move, why? It didn't matter.

I smiled wickedly at him and brought my right hand up to my face slowly. I tucked my side swept bangs behind my right ear and stared at him with my two tomoed Sharingan. I wondered if his eyes had two or three tomoes but I was satisfied to see him stiffen in shock. He hadn't been expecting anything like this from me when he'd first realized he was going to fight me in this last battle.

"You're not the only one who has it," I informed him with an evil smile on my face.

Using any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu would be pointless from now on. Each of us would just copy it and see through it and even then there weren't many options with Taijutsu. We would be able to tell how the other was planning to attack and where it would land. Oh well, there weren't any other options.

I stretched out my left arm, palm facing the silver haired boy and tucked my right arm in, palm facing me. I beckoned for him to make his move with my right hand.

He shook his head as if to clear it and then mimicked my position. I lunged at him as I whipped out my Ninjaken. He copied me in one fluid movement and our swords rang with the impact. We jumped away as soon as they touched.

He leapt at me and brought his sword down over my head with as much force as he could. I blocked it and tried to twist the tip of my blade around the base of his so I could pull it out of his grip. Nope, he saw what I was doing and jumped away from me again. He assessed me quickly and then pointed his sword at my chest and spun around.

He became a cyclone like I had before when I was fighting Tenzou. The blade of his sword was just visible as he spun towards me but he seemed to be going slower than before. Was it because he was tired?

The cyclone came closer and my Sharingan warned my body of where the sword would hit. I brought my Ninjaken up in front of my face and tilted the edge of it slightly towards the oncoming ANBU.

**CLANG**

Even though he wasn't going as fast as he could have the force he swung with was almost enough to send my Ninjaken flying from my hands.

Our swords wrestled with each other, trying to bring them closer to the other's neck. I put all my strength into forcing the sword back and succeeded; the blade was almost touching his neck.

A sudden immense amount of weight forced me to retreat a few steps; the silver haired boy's sword coming closer and closer to my own neck. I broke into a cold sweat; I had one more trick up my sleeve before the blade pierced my throat. I let him force the blade a little closer to me.

Just before it touched my flesh I made my eyes grow wide with fear. The ANBU said nothing all though I was sure he could smell victory.

At the last second I let go of the sword with my right hand. My left hand held the blade in check perfectly. I had trained myself to use a sword using only one hand even though I preferred using two.

I quickly swung my arm back and then sideways at the ANBU's face. I caught him on the side of his face and sent him sprawling to the floor. There was a sudden flash of pain in my right arm and I realized that his blade had managed to cut my arm when he fell.

I held the cut with my left hand and warm blood trickled onto it. I yelped as the wound seared with pain once again. I didn't have any extra bandages in my equipment holster today.

"I'm sorry…" I jerked my head up, causing my bangs to fall back in place.

That voice…the voice I'd longed to hear was slightly deeper now but unmistakeable…

I looked at the ANBU I'd sent flying. My punch had caused his animal mask to fall off and it had shattered on the ground.

The body that lay on the ground slowly sat up, long silver hair covering his face. He brushed it out of the way so that it flopped to the left in a controlled disarray. His black mask covered half of his face so that I could only focus on his one blue grey eye and his two tomoed Sharingan one as they bored into my one visible eye.

Kakashi…

No, it couldn't be; and yet it could. He looked just like Kakashi had except a little more mature. And his eye! What had happened to his left eye that had given him such a long scar and Sharingan?

I stared at the boy in disbelief. No, Kakashi was dead and was never coming back. This had to be a trick or something… That was it, a trick. The ANBU I was fighting was using Genjutsu. He was really good at it if I hadn't sensed it beforehand. This wasn't good; I'd fallen into a trap. He was going to use this Genjutsu to lure me into a false sense of security and then strike.

I smiled slightly, crediting the genius who had created a Genjutsu that targeted my one weakness.

I glanced back at Yondaime standing at the podium who was watching me intently. Yondaime knew from the beginning how much I liked Kakashi and how I would do anything to please him. He was also the only one powerful enough to cast a Genjutsu that even I couldn't detect.

"I must give you credit Hokage Yondaime. I've never seen a Genjutsu quite like this before," I smiled sadly up at him. "Kai," I said reluctantly as I closed my eyes and put my index and middle finger together while making a fist with the rest of my hand.

I didn't want Kakashi to leave me, even if he only was a Genjutsu…

I opened my eyes slowly and I stared at the ground just in front of me so that I wouldn't' have to look at the place where Kakashi had just been. I glanced up quickly but my eyes froze.

The lingering crowd of ANBU had vanished from the arena but there, just a couple steps away from me, lay Kakashi. He looked up at me like I was crazy but there was still a hint of shock in his eyes as well. I grew angry and whirled around to face Yondaime.

"I said '_Kai_', he shouldn't still be here!" I cried angrily, pointing at Kakashi with my blood stained hand. "What'd you do? Create another illusion of him right after I said that?!" my eyes stung with the threat of tears but I fought them back easily.

After mourning Kakashi's death I had trained myself to control my tears. Tears were useless and did not win battles, or bring people back from the dead. However, even though I'd trained myself not to cry, a pain gnawed at my heart every time I thought of him. The pain from the loss of a loved one took an extremely long time to heal, if it ever healed.

"You must know that this hurts me above anything else," I said quieter, but my voice was acidic. "What was the point of this exercise? To see how well I could do facing ANBU of various skill levels and then throw me off by putting him in the mix?" I was livid.

I'd wasted my birthday on battling weak opponents and then once I'd beaten all of them he'd decided to make a Genjutsu Kakashi and defeat me using that. Well, technically I'd won since I'd punched '_Kakashi_' last.

I turned around to leave, the pain in my heart was unbearable and I needed to find a place to break down.

"Where are you going?" Yondaime asked sternly.

"It doesn't really matter since you'll find me when you need me to go on some mission," I said rudely.

I gave the Genjutsu Kakashi a wide berth, who in turn stared up at me with concerned eyes.

"What the hell is your problem?!" I yelled at the illusion.

I ran to the girl's change room as fast as I could. I didn't even bother to change back into my normal clothes. I just grabbed my backpack and ran.

I was careful to avoid people in the village since I had no mask to hide my identity. I leapt from tree to tree, thinking of a good place to sit and rest. I finally realized how much chakra I'd used and my body suddenly felt drained.

I was forced to stop at the clearing with the giant rock. The Memorial Stone was not far away but I'd never bothered to check for Kakashi's name. It would've hurt too much to see it engraved there. Besides, seeing Kakashi today was already more than I could take. Every time my heart beat, a wave of agony washed through me.

I leapt down from the trees and sat on the giant rock. The sharp scent of blood drew my attention to my right arm. I did have enough chakra for a Healing Jutsu but I just didn't feel like performing one. I rummaged around in my backpack with my left hand, which still had dried blood on it. I had a water bottle but no bandages like I had originally thought. I poured the water into my left hand and did my best to get all of the blood off.

I'd forgotten that I was still using my Wolf Senses Jutsu when I heard a rustling in the trees. I released the Jutsu and stared at the spot where I knew someone would emerge.

Kakashi's masked face and silver hair were the first two things I saw. He had his left eye closed so that his Sharingan wasn't visible. I groaned and stood up on the rock. I reached across my body with my left hand to reach inside my thigh holster for a kunai. My right arm was in no state to be throwing weapons and even then my left arm wasn't as lethal with one.

I realized Kakashi was carrying my Ninjaken and two red marked ANBU masks. I must've dropped my sword when I saw Kakashi's face. Yondaime had sent his Genjutsu to return my belongings because he was too afraid that I would hurt him in a fit of rage if he appeared.

Kakashi's steps were uncertain and his eye was wary as he approached me. I debated whether or not to throw the kunai and decided that it wasn't worth it. Kakashi could dodge it or I would miss since I was throwing it with my left hand which wasn't as precise as my right. I put the kunai back in its holster and the relief was plain on Kakashi's face.

"Reicheru, I-" Kakashi started to speak but I cut him off.

"It's Tatsue, you should know that since Yondaime created you," I spat angrily.

Reicheru was my name when I wasn't an ANBU. _'Tatsue'_ was the name that hid my identity and gave me a feeling of power plus I preferred if people called me that now. The only person I really liked calling me Reicheru was Kakashi. The way it sounded when it rolled off of his tongue…

Kakashi's face fell once again, why was he still here?

"If Yondaime just sent you to give me a new mask and my sword then just hand them over, and then disappear," I demanded holding out my hands for them.

I winced when the movement pulled at the gash on my arm and blood flooded out of it faster. It was making a mess on my uniform.

"I have bandages," Kakashi said as he leapt onto the rock beside me.

He gently placed my sword and the two masks on the rock and reached into his thigh holster. He pulled out a bandage wrap, rubbing alcohol and water. He took another step towards me and his eye showed sincere concern.

I flinched away form him and then sighed, holding out my arm. I preferred to bandage myself up but the Genjutsu Kakashi had all the necessary materials. I glanced over at his arm that I'd slashed and saw that he'd bandaged it. Why would a Genjutsu do that and shouldn't he have disappeared when I'd hit him? Or had Yondaime recreated him right after that too and just added the bandage to his image?

Kakashi poured some water over the wound to clear away the blood. Then he dumped some rubbing alcohol on a cloth and pressed it to the cut.

"That stings!" I cried and jerked my arm away.

"Of course it does, but do you want it to get infected?" Kakashi asked sternly.

Kakashi had used the same tone when he'd scolded me for doing something wrong when we'd trained together. I bit my lip, I missed him so much. At least I could enjoy the little time I had with this Genjutsu. I watched him carefully as he finished with the rubbing alcohol. There was a lot of blood on the cloth and the gash still bled profusely. Kakashi quickly grabbed the bandage roll and began to wrap my muscle. I watched intently as he put on a few layers of the wrap.

"You must know what the point of that exercise was. Did I even fight any real ANBU?" I asked, looking away from him.

"Yeah, every ANBU you fought were real. The ANBU that were in the stands were all Genjutsus that Yondaime created but he thought if you realized that they were fakes you'd ruin the rest of his exercise. How else do you think we had such an even number of ANBU in the room?"

"Oh," I said; slightly ashamed that I hadn't figured that out earlier.

"The five ANBU that made it to the final round were all real too. You fought two of the toughest, Tenzou and me," Kakashi smiled and stepped away from me, finished with my arm.

No, it wasn't possible. He was dead; this was a Genjutsu! I felt my jaw drop and I snapped it closed instantly. I shook my head, looking at my feet.

"No, that's not possible. You died eight months ago on that mission with the rest of your squad," I reminded the Genjutsu.

"Where on earth did you hear that?" this time Kakashi shook his head.

"I overheard Minato-sensei talking to the ninja at the village entrance when he returned from his mission... Besides you look nothing like Kakashi did," I stooped down and picked up my mask and sword.

I sheathed my sword and attached the mask to a string hanging from my belt. I looked up at Kakashi who was staring at me incredulously.

"You don't think I could've changed in all this time?" he raised one silvery eyebrow at me.

"Not when you're dead! Besides Kakashi never had a Sharingan eye and I have no idea where he would get it," I turned my back to him.

"You must have some idea. You only have one, just like me," Kakashi pointed out.

Of course I had an idea where he got it from. Probably from Obito if that was the excuse Yondaime had given him when he tweaked his clone of Kakashi. Sharingan could be transplanted into another person but it was an extremely advanced Medical Jutsu. However, how I got my Sharingan was different.

"Mine is different from yours," I said quietly.

"Oh really, how so?" he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"My father was an Uchiha and he passed his Kekkei Genkai to me but for some reason, only the one eye developed it," I looked up at Kakashi's face.

He didn't have to know the whole truth of why I only had one and how I found out that I had it. Kakashi's face was surprised; I'd never talked about my parents with anyone before. No one had a clue that my father was an Uchiha, except for the Third Hokage. At least he believed the shorter version of my story. Then again Kakashi never was one to pry.

"So how'd you get yours? Did Obito give it to you and then Rin did a really terrible job with the transplant? I hope she knew that you can replace an eye without slicing the other one," my tone was very sarcastic.

I'd normally never speak with such a tone to Kakashi but since he was nothing more than a Genjutsu that had been altered, it didn't matter.

I watched as Kakashi's face grew red and then, he exploded.

"Rin had more talent with Medical Jutsu than you! She knew how to transplant an eye perfectly! And yes, Obito did give me the eye as a gift for becoming a Jounin just before he died!" Kakashi took a deep breath to calm himself.

I stared, wide eyed and waited for him to begin the story.

"We had just split ways with Minato when we were attacked by two Rock ninja. They distracted Obito and me and took Rin as a hostage. I didn't want to save her but Obito did so we went our separate ways after it got very ugly…" Kakashi said guiltily.

Images of Kakashi and Obito fighting flooded my mind. Had Obito killed him in the fight?

"I felt really bad about abandoning Rin and Obito because I thought that the mission was more important. I caught up to Obito just in time to save him from getting slashed by one of the Rock ninja. Then the guy hid in the trees so I couldn't sense him and he tried to attack Obito again, so I jumped in front of the knife. That's when he made this long slice down my eye. My eye was completely gone and we were both distracted when the ninja attacked again. Obito spun around and stabbed the guy just in the knick of time and that's when we realized that his eyes had transformed into Sharingan," Kakashi was speaking a little too fast as he tried to explain his whole story.

Sharingan only appeared when someone was in a life or death situation…

"So Obito ended up killing the guy and I bandaged up my eye and we entered the cave where the last ninja had Rin tied up. They were using Genjutsu on her to try and get her to talk but luckily it wasn't working. Obito and I attacked the guy simultaneously and I was able to slash him across the chest. I raced towards Rin and released her from the Genjutsu but when we turned around, the ninja was still alive and blocking our exit. He made the whole room collapse and giant rocks cascaded down on us. A smaller one hit me in my new blind spot and I was knocked out. When I woke up, the rocks had stopped falling but Obito was crushed under a giant one. He'd pushed me out of the way and got himself crushed instead. He was about to die and he had Rin transplant his Sharingan eye with my destroyed one. Rin and I were able to escape and with some help from Minato we made it to the bridge alive and destroyed it," Kakashi analyzed my face, waiting for my reaction.

During the last part of his story my face had fallen into an emotionless mask. I couldn't believe it; Obito had saved his life and given him his Sharingan as a gift.

"B-but you and Rin never came back with Minato and he said that you wouldn't be able to report on your mission," I stammered my face still emotionless.

"Yeah, I couldn't report because just before I reached the village I was sent on another mission back to the Land of Earth. That's where I've been these past few months. They gave me the ANBU uniform and sent me on many difficult missions," he explained, still watching my face closely.

"What about Rin?" I asked quietly.

"She was sent to the battle field where Minato fought. She was killed as she was trying to heal some of our ninja," Kakashi's voice adopted a gloomy tone.

His mission had taken a toll on him. His story was believable though. Everything fit perfectly and made sense; he had kept his promise after all. He was alive!

I flung my arms around Kakashi's neck and hugged him tightly. He was thrown off balance with the unexpected reaction but corrected himself. He put his arms around my waist and squeezed me back. I wanted to kiss him I was so happy but I thought better of it. I couldn't let him see that I loved him because that would put him in danger... Besides, I didn't even know if he liked me.

I pulled away from him and smiled up at his masked face.

"You're alive! I can't believe it! All this time and I thought-" Kakashi put a finger against my lips to silence me.

I stared up at him, his eye twinkled.

"I thought you were dead too," he said blushing slightly. "I hadn't heard from you in so long and when I returned to the village, nobody had seen you. I ran into an ANBU named Gimu and he told me that you'd become an ANBU too but he hadn't seen you in awhile. He said he thought he heard somebody say that an ANBU had been killed on a mission that was said to look like you," Kakashi explained.

There _had_ been another ANBU girl that looked like me. She had the same color hair and mask as me so I saw where the misconception had happened. She'd died during an assassination mission of a group of Rock ninja. Nobody in the village had seen me because I preferred to stay away from crowds after Kakashi '_died_'. I'd trained in the clearing by myself or in the secret training grounds when there was hardly anyone there.

"Then Yondaime called me to his office and explained that there was going to be a giant training session for ANBU the next day. I was very solemn throughout the meeting and after he finished explaining about the giant meet, he asked what was wrong. I told him about you being dead but of course he knew that you weren't and made sure that he planned this whole event so that you and I didn't face any fake ANBU so we didn't ruin his whole plan. He never told me any of this while I was there though. I vowed to myself that I would defeat every ANBU at the meet so that I could go on harder missions and find the ninja that killed you," Kakashi babbled on but with a smirk on his face now.

My smile brightened; he'd wanted to avenge my death.

"So when I finally made it to the last round in the training arena I gave it my all. You were a difficult opponent but there was no way that I was going to let you win. When I punched you in the stomach and you flew into the boards I thought I'd won. I'd thought that a direct punch to the face would be it for you, regardless of the mask's protection… But when it crumbled and you looked at me, I froze. I was appalled at the fact that I'd hit you so many times and shocked that you were alive. Then you attacked and showed me your Sharingan and I thought that maybe the person I'd been fighting was using a Genjutsu to distract me by making me think that you were alive. So I copied your movements and parried your sword attacks. I used my eye to try and detect the Genjutsu but I couldn't sense any. Then you attacked me again so I used the Blade Cyclone Jutsu but you countered that too. I never saw you remove your hand from the sword when you hit me. My grip on the Ninjaken loosened with the impact so it slipped and cut your arm by accident. I heard you yell and even though I wasn't sure if you were a Genjutsu or not, I felt awful that I'd cut you. When I looked up I hadn't realized that my mask had fallen off. You completely froze when you saw me and I thought that maybe that it might be you. Then you started complimenting Yondaime and tried to release the Genjutsu. I knew right away that it really was you. We both thought that the other was dead and therefore believed that our opponent was a Genjutsu," Kakashi fell silent once he'd finished.

I blushed and then stopped smiling.

"How mad is Yondaime after what I said to him?" I asked guiltily, looking away.

"Not that mad, he understands. He explained what he'd done after you left and then sent me after you with your belongings," Kakashi laughed remembering my outburst.

I smiled at Kakashi. He was alive, although I still couldn't believe it; I was almost giddy. Kakashi gripped my waist suddenly and lifted me off the ground. He hugged me tightly before placing me back on my feet.

This Kakashi was a little different from the one eight months ago. The loss of Obito, Rin and, I guess me, had caused him to be more open to feelings…maybe.

"I can't tell you how much I missed you," he said his one eye searching my one visible one for something.

"I missed you too… By the way, how can you activate your Sharingan if it was transplanted? You yelled it out when we were fighting," I asked trying to avoid his uncomfortable gaze; what was he looking for?

"Oh, I just said that so maybe you would've backed down if you knew I was using Sharingan," Kakashi shrugged.

I smiled; I had my best friend back and although I'd like him to be more, I could accept what I had. I shouldn't honestly love him in the first place. Being near me was dangerous for him and I would never forgive myself if I got him killed. I'd never forgiven myself for Yuki and Shinsetsu's deaths even after all this time.

I looked away form Kakashi and up at the sky. The sun was already beginning to set; I'd been in the ANBU training grounds for a long time.

"I should go, I'm exhausted," I said unwillingly.

"Yeah, you sure put up a good fight; I'm exhausted too," Kakashi chuckled; it was hard to believe that he was still my age, he looked so much older.

I jumped to the ground and Kakashi followed behind me.

"Since we have no squads to practice with…" I winced. "Do you want to practice here together tomorrow; we can meet at sunrise?" Kakashi asked shyly.

I looked back at him and nodded, then placed my mask over my face. I would avoid the village as much as possible but I didn't want to risk anyone seeing my face.

Just as I was about to leap into the trees, Kakashi put his hand on my shoulder.

"By the way; happy birthday!" he smiled just before he placed his own mask over his face.

He jumped into the trees and I smiled. It had turned out to be a great birthday after all.


	7. Chapter 6

naruto characters are (C) of Masashi Kishimot while the rest are (C) to me

* * *

Chapter VI: Secret Revealed

Chapter VI: Secret Revealed

**(Next day)**

I woke early the next morning in order to be on time for my training with Kakashi. I remembered being chastised by him for hours just because I was a minute late for practices back when we trained with Minato-sensei and Yoko-sensei.

White Fang had been ecstatic after I'd told him about Kakashi being alive. The wolf had immediately become more chipper to match my mood. I'd never realized how depressed I had become after Kakashi's death but White Fang served as a good example. He would copy my mood or just give me space depending on how I was feeling. Everything was back to normal now.

I had a tough time deciding what to wear: my normal outfit or my ANBU uniform? I decided on my normal outfit since I wasn't going for ANBU training and this way I wouldn't have to hide my face behind a mask.

Putting on clothes turned out to be a bit of a hassle. My cut was still tender and I ended up reopening the wound. I changed the bandage and put new bandage wraps in my backpack.

After getting dressed I packed a lunch in my bag for the two of us as well; salmon sushi with naruto for dessert. I hoisted my bag onto my shoulder and headed out the door.

I arrived at the clearing about ten minutes later and the sun was just beginning to rise. I sat on top of the giant rock and waited for Kakashi…

An hour had gone by and he still hadn't shown. The sun had almost completely risen and Kakashi _had_ said to meet at sunrise or had I heard him wrong?

A few more minutes passed and then I felt my eyes involuntarily close…

"Hey Tatsue, wake up," I groaned as something nudged my shoulder.

I opened my eyelids but my vision was blurry. Light flooded in them which made it even harder to focus on the face above me. Kakashi's navy blue, masked face moved directly overhead and blocked out some of the sunlight. He wore his headband so that it covered his left eye.

I sat up slowly and realized that Kakashi was wearing his green vest and navy blue pants. It was very different from his navy blue outfit with the white shoulder pads and leather straps that he'd used to wear. He'd never worn his vest before after becoming a Chuunin and I could see why; even with his growth spurt over the past few months the vest was still slightly too big.

"Your outfit would look better if that jacket actually fit," I informed him. "It's really hot out too; you might as well just take it off."

Kakashi nodded in agreement and took the vest off and placed it beside me. The tight navy blue shirt the he wore underneath showed off his muscular arms and chest. I swooned but quickly stopped so that Kakashi wouldn't see. I stood as Kakashi rose from his squatting position next to me. It was really bright out and I looked up at the sky; the sun was directly overhead, it was noon!

"Where were you? I thought we were supposed to meet at sunrise!" I turned on Kakashi angrily.

"Oh yeah… Well you see the Hokage wanted me to go on a little mission," Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," I eyed him suspiciously.

If he'd gone on a mission then why wasn't he wearing his ANBU uniform? Oh well, I let it slip.

"So what are we going to work on today?" I danced on the spot excitedly.

"I thought we'd do the Bell Exercise Yondaime made my squad do one time," Kakashi smiled and held up two silver bells.

"Okay, what are the rules?" I was confused; I'd never done this exercise before.

"I'll have to change this around a bit, but we both are going to have a bell," he handed one to me daintily. "The objective is to hide in the forest around the clearing and we'll both try and steal the bell from the other. Whoever loses has to be tied to a tree and watch the other eat their lunch," Kakashi smiled under his mask and tossed his bell up in the air.

"You're kidding right? That's way too easy," I looked at him incredulously.

Kakashi just smiled and attached his bell to his belt near his left hip. I sighed and did the same. I looked at him again, making sure that this was really what he wanted to do. I turned swiftly and jumped into the trees. I leapt from tree to tree as silently as I could and stopped on an extremely thick branch that I thought could support Kakashi's weight as well if he found me. I looked back towards the rock and saw Kakashi scanning the trees for any sign of me. I made the hand signs for my Wolf Senses Jutsu and waited for Kakashi to make the first move.

Two hours had passed and Kakashi and I stood facing each other on top of the rock panting, kunai drawn. We hadn't a scratch on us but we were tired from blocking each other's attacks and the lack of food probably had something to do with it as well. Both of our bells were still firmly attached to our hips and not one of us had even been able to touch the others.

"We're too evenly matched. This'll take forever," I complained, eyeing Kakashi's bell.

"That's why it's good practice," Kakashi replied with a smirk.

I sighed, there was still a bit of the old Kakashi in there; the one that pushed me to my limits. I quickly racked my brain for something that could help me win. Ninjutsu and Taijutsu had proved to be ineffective since we were evenly matched and there was no point in wasting chakra by using Sharingan. All that was left was Genjutsu, but would mine seem as real as Yondaime's?

I widened my eyes in fear as I looked behind Kakashi. I raised a shaky finger and pointed in the direction the giant monster was coming from.

"What?" Kakashi turned his head to look where I was pointing but still kept me in his line of sight.

Kakashi jumped closer to me as a giant beast with shaggy black fur emerged from the trees. I took a step back in fear as the creature advanced. It drooled and its glowing red eyes never left Kakashi's face.

"Let's back up really slowly," Kakashi whispered; had I fooled him?

I whirled around so that our backs were almost touching. Another monster, identical to the first, slunk out of the forest in front of me.

"We're trapped," I informed him, adding a hint of fear to my voice.

The monsters crept closer to the rock and Kakashi and I backed up into each other. Our backs touched and we were as close as physically possible. I smiled wickedly and brought my right hand close to my equipment holster. My monster eyed me cautiously as I felt Kakashi do the same. Kakashi's bell jingled from where it lay on his left hip as he did so.

I brought my hand a little further back, closer to Kakashi's bell as my monster advanced.

"When they pounce, throw a kunai," Kakashi directed me and I nodded, the top of my head hitting the base of his neck.

The monsters snarled and made a high leap into the air. I quickly clasped my hand around Kakashi's bell and yanked it back to my side. I dove under the incoming monster and landed in a squat on the ground.

"Kai!" I yelled as I turned back to look at the rock.

The monsters disappeared in a cloud of smoke. I heard Kakashi's laughter coming from the opposite side of the boulder; he'd known that it was a Genjutsu… I leapt back onto the rock and looked down at him.

"What's so funny?" I demanded, placing my hands on my hips.

"I got your bell," Kakashi dangled it in the air in front of his face.

I looked down at my left side, yeah, it was gone and I hadn't even felt him take it.

"I guess you get to be tied to the tree and miss out on lunch," Kakashi's eye smiled with childish glee.

"Hold your horses. I got your bell too," I held out my hand containing the silver bell. "See? We're too evenly matched so I guess nobody misses out on lunch," I laughed and walked over to my backpack that rested on the rock's surface.

I heard Kakashi sigh as he leapt onto the rock; he'd thought that he'd beaten me for once. I giggled as I pulled out the sushi and naruto.

Lunch didn't take too long to eat but it was odd. Before being split up into squads Kakashi and I used to eat lunch together all the time. He'd sat right beside me and sometimes our arms would touch or he'd even allowed me to fall asleep on his shoulder. However, he seemed more distant today. He sat facing me and made sure that he didn't even touch me if he walked by. The last time he'd touched me in an overly friendly way was when we'd hugged when we'd been reunited. I tried to remember if he'd jerked away from me when our backs had touched during the bell exercise; I didn't think he had. Then again, I had been concentrating on getting the bell… Maybe this thing with him would pass…

"I want to show you something," Kakashi stood up suddenly and hopped down from the rock.

He walked over to a tree near the edge of the clearing and waited for me to catch up.

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"Stand back," he warned me as he began to make a few hand signs.

He placed his left arm on top of his right and faced his palm towards the ground.

"Chidori!" Kakashi yelled and his chakra pooled into his right hand.

It was like he was holding blue lightning. Its bolts flew in different directions around him while the sound of a thousand birds filled the clearing. I took a few steps away from him and watched as he attacked the tree. His chakra hand burrowed through it like the wood was air. The top of the tree toppled sideways as the dust began to settle around us. The blue lightning absorbed back into his hand and he turned to face me, eye twinkling.

"What was that?! That was amazing!" I stared at the tree he had taken out.

"Chidori, it can cut through anything," he bragged.

"That is so cool! Did you copy it?" I was curious as to where he had gotten it and if I could get it as well.

"Nope, came up with it myself," Kakashi pointed at his chest, his right eye glowing with pride. "I also have someone I want you to meet," he continued as he made the Summoning Jutsu hand signs.

I wondered what strong animal Kakashi would've chosen. It would have to be big, muscular and talented; just like Kakashi. Maybe a white Bengal tiger or an eagle or maybe…

Kakashi placed his hand on the ground and was immediately smothered in a cloud of smoke. It eventually cleared and Kakashi stood. I looked around frantically for the magnificent beast.

"Down here," a gruff voice said at my feet.

"What?" I was shocked as I looked into the big, sad, brown eyes of a pug.

He was chocolate in color and wore a navy blue headband and shirt that matched Kakashi's. He was quite tiny, about as big as my foot. How would he be useful in a fight? Duh, I knew the answer. White Fang was basically the same, just a little bigger, with fangs and sharp teeth and cuter in my opinion.

"His name's Pakkun," Kakashi said, introducing me to the little pug.

"Nice to meet you," the dog offered me his paw.

"Err, nice to meet you too. I'm Reicheru," I shook the dog's paw.

I didn't give him my nickname; dogs were smart after all and this dog looked it. Pakkun would definitely ask questions about my name if I told him and he might find out about me being a dragon. Dogs were excellent with scents, tracking, spying and inferring. He could easily follow me and find out something that I didn't want him or Kakashi to know.

"I have a whole pack of dogs at home, but Pakkun is my favourite. I've had them since I was small and I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't think that it was that important," Kakashi eyed me sheepishly. "Maybe once Pakkun and I train some more we'll be able to beat you," Kakashi chuckled at the prospect.

"Hmm? Oh…yeah, maybe…" Kakashi frowned at my distractedness.

My thoughts had turned to White Fang and the prospect of Kakashi beating me. I couldn't let that happen. No one could beat me because if they did, that meant I was weak and not worthy of having loved ones to protect. Shinsetsu and Yuki popped into my head, their faces bloody and filled with pain. I cringed; I had to start training more with White Fang, learn new Jutsus and on top of that, perfect my Healing Jutsus so that I could fix any wound.

I felt the pressure of Kakashi's intense gaze and I refocused on him.

"I should probably head home; I have a few things to do," I said casually.

"Yeah, okay. I'll see you here at sunrise tomorrow then?" Kakashi looked at me with his head cocked, his eye showed concern.

"Yeah, sure… Bye Pakkun, bye Kakashi," I waved, grabbed my backpack and leapt into the trees.

"Odd girl… Is she always that distant?" I heard Pakkun ask Kakashi.

Oh well, it didn't matter what he thought. I had to spend more time with White Fang. He was a weapon as much as he was a companion, and yet… I was afraid to use him because I thought he would give me away. All the secrets about my past and clan could be revealed if Kakashi, even Pakkun, saw him.

I'd made it home quicker than usual and I ran inside and down the hall to my bedroom. White Fang was right beside me, tail wagging.

"So how was training?" he asked, sitting on my white carpet as I dug under my bed.

"Oh, fine… no different from before," I mumbled as my hand hit a box.

I froze; Shinsetsu and Yuki's headbands were in there… I moved it out of the way and continued to search for my mom's books.

"What are you doing?" White Fang asked.

"I'm looking for the books on Healing Jutsus," I said, still feeling under my bed.

"You mean the ones you brought with you when we left your parents' house? After the-" he trailed off as he jumped out of the way to avoid the box of headbands I'd thrown at him.

"Shut up!" I screamed.

I placed my hands on my knees and dug my nails into my skin and stared at the back of my hands, fighting to keep the tears from streaming down my face. White Fang knocked the lid off the box behind me. He stared at my old comrades' headbands.

"I'm sorry…" I didn't really know what he was apologizing for; I should've been the one apologizing.

I heard White Fang put the lid back on the box with his teeth and he pushed it towards me. I sniffled and shoved the box of headbands back under the bed while dragging out the three, leather bound books.

"I'm going to become as skilled in Medical Jutsu as I am in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. I will prevent everyone I love from dying…" I announced and stared at the books in my hands.

With these I could cure almost anything… I would prevent the deaths of everyone I cared about and everyone in the village if I could.

"You can't save everyone… You shouldn't feel obliged to either… Their deaths are not your fault," White Fang placed his paw on my knee.

I shrugged away from him and stood, turning my back on the wolf. I heard White Fang sigh as he padded out of the room. I sat on my bed and began to read my mother's books. They held more information on healing than any others…especially information about healing dragons...

A few months had passed and Kakashi's and my training continued in the mornings when we weren't carrying out missions with different ANBU squads. Our training was intense but Kakashi was _always_ late for it. Never before his '_death_' had he ever been late. It made me mad for the first few days it happened but I found that if I went early, I had time to read and practice my Healing Jutsus before he arrived.

I also had enough time to practice and develop Jutsus. In these past few months I hadn't been creative enough to invent any new Jutsus but I was able to master one that I'd only seen once before, Rasengan.

I'd seen Yondaime use it once during our practices a few years ago. It had taken awhile to learn how to control the chakra enough to make it spin in one direction and then form it into a ball in my hand. I wasn't sure if it was as powerful as Kakashi's Chidori but hopefully I'd be able to test it out. I figured hitting each other with those two attacks simultaneously might kill us both so I'd have to find another way to see if my theory was true.

I would show him the technique today if he ever showed up. Then we'd have lunch as usual…

Kakashi had become even more distant at lunch after our first training session. He was careful to stay away from me and wasn't as chatty as usual. Some days I could trick him into laughing by cracking jokes but he'd quieten up afterwards. He was too distant and I wondered if he even wanted to be my friend anymore…

Maybe that was why he was always late; he held off coming until the last possible moment until he'd thought I'd gone home!

No, Kakashi wasn't like that…or was he? He'd changed since his mission with his squad, that much was obvious. Was it so hard to believe that he didn't like me anymore either? Or had Pakkun learned the truth about me and that was the cause for him acting so distant?

I shivered at the last thought; Kakashi could turn the whole village against me if he wanted to…

No, I'd give him a chance; I'd wait until he came.

I hadn't slept well the night before so I settled down on the rock and fell asleep. Kakashi would wake me up when he arrived anyways and then I'd ask him to tell me why he was always so late…

Something cold hit my face in tiny beads and I slowly opened my eyes to see a dark grey sky. It was raining and even with the clouds I could tell that it was almost dark. Anger erupted inside of me; Kakashi had never come!

I stood abruptly and pulled my bangs away from my right eye. I scanned the clearing with my Sharingan but could find no sign that any human had entered it while I'd slept.

That stupid boy! I'd find him and when I did, I'd let him have it!

I flicked my bangs back in front of my face and leapt into the trees. The rain began to pour, soaking my coffee brown hair so that it stuck to my face and back. I pulled on my mask since I knew there was a risk of running into villagers and I continued my mad dash through the trees.

I realized I was heading in the direction of the Memorial Stone. Thoughts of Kakashi disappeared and I decided to pay a visit to the stone. It had almost been a year since Shinsetsu and Yuki had died and it would be nice to pay my respects although I knew that the guilt I felt would hit me full force when I saw their names.

The trees were getting slippery as I hopped from branch to branch. I'd almost made it to the clearing when I slipped. I lost my balance and began to tumble towards the ground.

I crashed through hundreds of branches as I tried desperately to grab hold of something, but I was falling too fast. I saw the ground approaching quickly so I decided to tuck and roll.

I hit the ground as I began the summersault and was able to avoid injury. However, I lost control and went spinning head over heals, narrowly missing the last few trees that separated me from the clearing. I landed on my stomach in a puddle of mud just outside the protection of the trees. My ANBU uniform was coated with the thick brown muck.

I looked towards the Memorial Stone and found Kakashi staring at me. He was wearing his ANBU uniform as well but it clung to him because of the all the rain it had absorbed. His beautiful silver hair had drooped under the weight of the water it had accumulated giving him an even further depressed look.

Kakashi stared at me with a somewhat dazed expression but that was soon replaced with one of frustration. He turned back to face the Memorial Stone as I stood and attempted to brush myself off.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he asked me harshly.

"Well, I came to find you since you never showed up for practice. Since I left in this direction I decided to pay my respects to Shinsetsu and Yuki before I went in search of you," I explained as I approached the stone.

I stood quietly on his right and stared down at the rock. My eye found Shinsetsu and Yuki's names carved crudely into the marble. I raised my glance and Obito's name stood out like a sore thumb. I turned my head towards Kakashi.

"How long have you been here?" I asked quietly.

"The whole day… I lost track of time…" I stared open mouthed at Kakashi.

"What?! Mister Always-early LOST TRACK OF TIME?! Is this why you've been late to training everyday?" I demanded.

This was completely out of character for Kakashi. He had chastised me for being late for practices with Yoko and Yondaime so why did he get to break his own rule?

"Yeah, I've come here everyday since I returned to the village after Obito's death…" Kakashi muttered through his mask, not taking his eyes away from the Memorial Stone.

"Why? I come once in awhile to pay my respects to Shinsetsu and Yuki. Why do you feel the need to come here everyday? It's not like you caused his death," I muttered bitterly and turned away from the rock.

I still blamed myself for my comrades' deaths. I had had the power to stop Yuki and I could've paid closer attention to what was going on around me so that Shinsetsu wouldn't have died. Their deaths were entirely my fault; I had been careless and slow to react.

"I could've saved him…" Kakashi turned to look at me as I glanced back at him. "If I'd gone to save Rin in the first place and made sure that that ninja was dead then maybe he wouldn't have caused the cave in that killed Obito," Kakashi's voice was dull at he turned his attention back to the stone.

The pain was clear in his eye; the boy was torturing himself by thinking about what could've been…not that I wasn't doing the same.

"Kakashi, you can't do this to yourself. You told me other Rock ninja came and they could've started the rock slide. You did everything you could and there's nothing more valuable than a friend who's given their life for you. You have to move on…at least partially," I placed my left hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

He shrugged away from my touch and gave me a death stare with his right eye.

"How can I expect you to understand? You did everything in your power to help your squad! You didn't make a stupid decision; you're comrades did! You don't have to live with the guilt of not being strong enough to save them! You're guilt free and have nothing to regret!" he yelled at me.

"You don't know what you're talking about…" I clenched my fists together as painful memories began to break through the barrier I'd built in my mind.

"Of course I do! You told me the whole story, there's nothing else to it! It's their fault not yours! It's not like you had to choose between saving your friends and completing the mission and then you find out later that you made the wrong choice! That's the guilt that is the hardest to live with!" I realized that Kakashi had started to talk about his father.

"Sakumo made the right decision in saving his cell. Sure he caused a little problem for the village but we fixed it long ago," I said calmly.

"You're wrong! My dad should've done the opposite; that's what Konoha wanted! Now I'm the one that has to face all the comments about my dad and how he should've done this instead of that! You don't have to live with the shame of having a parent who is a complete failure! Actually, scratch that. You _must_ have to live with more shame then I do about your parents," Kakashi was getting angrier by the second.

"What makes you say that?" my voice grew acidic as I sensed Kakashi crossing a line.

"Your parents must have done something terrible if you don't even mention them! You have so much talent that you must've come from a well known clan and you are part Uchiha but I've never heard anyone mention your last name before! What did your parents do that has made you so ashamed of them? Did they destroy the rest of your clan? Maybe that's why you're the only one left! Or maybe they failed at some really important mission and lost their lives instead!" Kakashi had crossed the line by a long shot.

"SHUT UP!" anger raged inside me and my eyes went cold as I stared at the stupid boy.

He had no right to talk about my parents! He knew nothing about them.

"My parents and clan have done more for this village then you ever could!" I grew even more furious and I felt the dragon instinct part of my brain growl angrily.

I was able to suppress the transformation but the full strength of the dragon's fury bubbled to the surface. Before I knew what I was doing, I saw the Rasengan form in my hand.

"What!? How did you…" Kakashi stared at the ball of chakra in amazement.

I couldn't control myself, the dragon in me had resurfaced and the anger was controlling my movements. Before I knew it, I'd thrown the Rasengan at Kakashi. He barely dodged it and I watched as it flew into the trees and exploded.

Kakashi stared at me but he realized something was different. He made the hand signs for Chidori and stood there as his chakra writhed in his palm. I involuntarily made the Rasengan again and waited for him to move. Who knew exactly what would happen if our two techniques combined?

My dragon side was still furious and it whipped the chakra ball at Kakashi. I flipped backwards, away from the explosion I knew would come. Kakashi raised his Chidori hand towards the oncoming Rasengan. There was a giant explosion and blue light lit up the entire clearing.

I was thrown against a tree at the opposite end of the clearing with the force of the explosion. The wind was knocked out of me and I lost consciousness…

I woke a few moments late and stood shakily; the dragon's anger had hidden itself back in the confines of my mind. I giant hole at the center of the clearing marked where our two Jutsus had exploded. By some miracle the Memorial Stone was still intact but all the trees nearest it had been reduced to cinders. I scanned the clearing for Kakashi but I couldn't see him. I searched for a presence and I sensed one hiding in the trees furthest from me.

Kakashi hopped down from the trees and stood a few feet away from me. He wasn't hurt luckily but he trembled slightly from anger and loss of chakra. His Chidori still took a lot out of him.

I glared at him from beneath my bangs.

"You will never understand me," I muttered angrily.

He straightened his posture and looked at me confusedly. I swung around and jumped into the trees nearest me. I headed towards the village at top speed while checking periodically behind me to make sure that Kakashi wasn't following. My blood continued to boil as I thought about the hurtful things he'd said.

I shouldn't have let my anger get the better of me… I was lucky the explosion hadn't killed him. How would I have been able to live with myself if it had? I probably would've left the village and lived in the forest somewhere…

I rested on a think branch in a tree just a few feet away from the buildings that marked the beginning of the village. I pulled on my ANBU mask so none of the villagers would recognize me.

I felt the tree shudder ever so slightly. It was odd, there was nothing touching the tree except for me and I was standing completely still. I leapt from the branch and landed on the dirt path that entered the village. I felt another tremor rock the ground, stronger than the first. I looked up towards the nearest buildings and further up, towards the market. It was eerily quiet even though night had only fallen an hour ago.

I walked cautiously towards the market and I began to see a few people scurrying about.

"Hurry, we have to get underground!" I watched as a man and his family ran past me towards the right.

From here the nearest safe house would be the one under the Hokage's office…

I grew panicked and walked faster towards the middle of the market. That's when I saw the swarm of frightened villagers. They ran in the same direction as the other family I had seen or towards the Academy which housed a secret passage that would lead to the safe house in the mountains. I felt the earth give another shudder under my feet. What was going on?

The flock of villagers pushed past me in their haste to get to safety. I was knocked off balance by a big, burly man that I didn't even think saw me. I fell backwards but a hand caught me and pulled me up and out of the way of the stampede. The other ANBU yanked me on top of a ramen shop.

"You all right?" the blue haired kunoichi asked.

"Yeah, thanks. I don't know why I didn't react when I saw him coming towards me," I gave a poor excuse.

I hadn't been paying attention at all; I'd been focusing on the tremors.

"What's going on?" I asked glancing at the panicked villagers rushing past us.

"I don't know. I was ordered to get the villagers to safety but about a half hour ago all ANBU and Jounin were commanded to go beyond the village's walls. There must be an army or something heading our way," the girl's eyes were panicked beneath her mask.

"Where's the Hokage?" I asked looking towards Yondaime's office.

"I thought I heard someone say that he's at the battle front but I don't know for sure," the girl looked at me guiltily; she hardly knew any information.

An ANBU was always informed about important happenings first and always knew what was going on. Whatever was happening past the village's limits had caught everyone off guard.

"I'll head towards the commotion and see what I can do," I stood and the blue haired ANBU did the same.

"You're Tatsue aren't you? I've heard a lot about you! You'll save our village if no one else can," the girl's voice turned hopeful and I gave a small nod before leaping onto the roofs of other shops, heading towards the battle.

I sure hoped she was right...

As I traveled I saw the whole population of the village head in the opposite direction. Whatever had come was extremely dangerous. I picked up my speed and reached the village entrance in a matter of minutes. Other shinobi were running through the gate in the same direction as I was. The giant path that led to the village was congested with ninja dashing towards a giant column of smoke in the distance.

I left the village behind and continued my race through the tree tops. The tension coming off of all the ANBU and Jounin around me was enough to choke on. We didn't necessarily know the details of what was going on but we knew that the safety of the Village Hidden in the Leaves was at stake…

It took twenty minutes, even at top speed, to arrive at the battle scene. Here the mass of shinobi condensed and moved together as one towards something big that glowed red in the distance. It was hard to make out so I jumped into the arms of the tallest pine I could find.

Using my controlled chakra I scaled the tree using my feet and in a matter of seconds I reached the top. I looked towards the giant red thing and my breath caught in my throat. It was a nine-tailed fox. Its demonic red eyes matched the fur that sprouted all over its body. It was way bigger than my dragon body and it proved itself stronger as it crushed a mountain with a swipe of its paw.

That's when I saw it…the majestic Fire Bird circled above our heads. Its musical shriek entranced a few shinobi but they broke free of its spell and hurried off to their deaths… I watched the bird circle in the air and waited for it to show me where Yondaime was.

It circled lower and lower and preformed tighter turns until it dropped into the trees a couple of miles away from where I sat. I shot off in the direction that the bird had flown and dropped to the ground where I'd seen it plunge. I landed in a crouch in front of the Fourth Hokage.

I stood and bowed to him; his blond hair and white cloak fluttered in the wind as he gazed down at me. He looked stunning in his blue outfit and grey armour. His eyes were serious, not a hint of the amusement that usually filled them. He looked very handsome and powerful and I saw why Kushina Uzumaki had fallen in love with him. I straightened and forced the panicked look out of my eye.

"Orders sir?" I asked automatically.

"We can't let the Kyuubi reach the village and our forces are already diminishing. You are our last resort; our ultimate weapon. You must protect the village and destroy this monster," Yondaime looked at me sternly.

He wanted me to change into my dragon form to defeat the demon. Problem was there were too many shinobi in the area. If I were to use the Body Expansion Jutsu I would crush them under my feet and I would definitely be called a monster.

"You'll have to retreat to a safe distance," I informed him.

Yondaime understood and he held out his forearm. The Fire Bird flew down from a nearby tree and landed on the spot provided for him. Yondaime raised his other hand and placed it on the bird's head. The bird's feathers immediately changed to white. Once the color had completely washed away from its body, it took flight and circled high above the forest; the sign for a retreat.

"Protect the village at all costs," Yondaime called my attention back to him and I nodded.

I leapt into the trees as hundreds of shinobi rushed below me in the opposite direction. I did not want to think about what would happen to them if I failed…

I ran faster towards the Kyuubi which lay a few more miles away. I saw less and less shinobi as I ran. They had no idea what I was going to do. Some of them even called out to me to tell me that I was going the wrong way.

The fox's growling became louder as I approached and I began to see the bodies of the shinobi that the demon had killed and flung in various directions. It was disturbing to see just how many he'd already killed and how gruesome the injuries were that they had died from. I dropped to the ground as the trees ended abruptly.

The elegant forest had been squashed into the earth by this fearsome creature. The new clearing was as big as the entire village and the Kyuubi was furthest away from me. His nose was on the ground; searching for new scents of things he could destroy. The red fox was double the height of a mountain that belonged to the mountain range that eventually led to the ones that protected Konoha.

I removed my ANBU mask and stared at the red eyes of Kyuubi that glinted in the moonlight. He glanced in my direction as I took a few steps further into the clearing.

"Not another one. Haven't you learned that no ordinary ANBU will defeat me?" the Kyuubi chuckled, shaking his head.

"Who said I was ordinary?" I looked up at the monster defiantly and he stopped laughing and took another look at me.

"Give me your best shot," the fox taunted as he slunk into a crouched position.

"Tatsu, Dragon Transformation Jutsu!" I made my hand signs quickly and watched as an astonished look befell the creature's face.

The transformation felt odd as it usually did. I felt my tail bone elongate into a proper tail as my nails hardened and turned black. The moon danced off their smooth surface as they grew longer and adopted wickedly sharp points. My body expanded as my neck stretched out and my head became snake like. My teeth grew and sharpened as horns emerged from my skull and my eyes moved to the sides of my head and my left eye went from blue to black. My wings popped out of my back and unfolded to reveal their stunning color. Finally, the white scales protruded from my skin and covered my head, back and tail as my stomach blackened and became leathery. My transformation was complete in less than five seconds.

I sat back on my haunches and looked up at the Kyuubi. A smirk had replaced his surprised look and I could see why. I may be a deadly dragon but I was only a quarter of the fox's size. He could easily squash me with one of his long tails.

"Body Expansion Jutsu!" There was no need to make hand signs while in dragon form since I just had to picture them.

This Jutsu used a little bit more chakra than usual but at least it evened the playing field. I was the exact same size as the Kyuubi who obviously didn't like the fact that I had abnormal powers.

"You'll still lose; I hope you know that," the Kyuubi sunk lower into his crouch.

"We'll see," I gave him a big dagger toothed grin.

My right Sharingan eye assessed the demon as he prepared to pounce. I dodged his attack easily and flew up to the peaks of the now small mountains. I rested on my back legs and used my wings to balance as I watched the Kyuubi turn towards me. I forced the sharp, kunai like blade out of my tail behind my back so that he could not see. I smiled evilly as the fox glared up at me.

"You think a slight height advantage like that will help you?" the Kyuubi snarled and ran towards my mountain.

I used my wings to propel myself off the peak as the demon fox head butted the mountain's side. There was a terrible cracking noise as the mountain crumbled; cascading rocks fell on the Kyuubi's head. I plunged, with my claws outstretched, into his back. My claws pierced in between his ribs and tore at his spinal cord.

The Kyuubi's yell was deafening and I dug my bladed tail into his back left thigh. My blade cut the muscle and the leg found that it could no longer support any weight. The fox fell to the side and I dislodged quickly from his body and flew up to another mountain's peak. I watched as the fox snarled as he tried to stand properly. Not wasting any time I dropped from the peak, wings outstretched. I barely hovered above the ground as I approached the Kyuubi at top speed.

I slammed into his side with my horns. On top of piercing his skin, I sent him flying in the direction opposite the village. He slid to a stop a few miles away and I waited patiently for him to stand. I didn't have to wait long because ten seconds after I came to a halt he jumped onto all fours.

How could he possibly move like that with all the injuries he'd received? The fox began to circle me and I was shocked to see the wounds I'd inflicted were healing.

"Like my fast recovery? My body begins to heal the second I receive an injury," the Kyuubi laughed, showing his sharp teeth.

"Kuso!" I swore as I watched the last of his cuts disappear.

We leapt at each other simultaneously; our claws digging into the other's shoulders. We both snarled in pain and pulled away. I watched angrily as his wounds started to close up. How was I supposed to win if he kept healing himself?

I swung my tail around quickly and the blade caught the Kyuubi in the neck. I pressed it in deeper as I blew a giant fireball at his face. The smell of burning fur was enough to make me gag and I withdrew my tail from his neck.

"Gotcha!" I saw the Kyuubi's face a second too late as he pounced on me.

We rolled in circles, snarling and scratching at each other with our claws. I dug the claws of my feet around his ribs and pushed. He flew into the mountain range, causing a giant explosion. Dust flew everywhere, blocking my view and clogging my nostrils. I coughed and wheezed and then growled in pain as a giant red tail slammed into my right side.

I heard a few ribs crack as my legs buckled underneath the unexpected weight. I lay on the ground for a few seconds before standing. I turned my giant head towards the Kyuubi and lunged. My horns dug into his throat and I swung my tail around to try and pierce him in the back. Unfortunately, one of his nine tails blocked mine; I struggled against it but the tail would not budge. I withdrew my horns and decided to bite the demon fox's neck instead. He yelped in pain but quickly realized my mistake; he could turn his head just enough so that he could bite the top of my long neck.

I suppressed a scream and bit down harder on the Kyuubi's neck but that only caused him to clamp down harder on mine. I raised my front arms and pushed him into the ground. He was forced to let go of my neck as I put pressure on his ribs.

I felt the wind sting the gashes in my neck and shoulders as it whipped past us. I could see the blood staining my white scales as it gushed out and fell the few hundred stories to the ground. I couldn't waste any chakra on healing myself. Keeping my body at this size was something I'd never attempted before and therefore, very draining.

I heard the sickening snap of ribs as I forced more weight on the Kyuubi's side. If I pushed hard enough, the bones could pierce his heart and then he would die. However, before I could do that the fox wrapped a few of his tails around my back legs and dragged me off of him. I dug my clawed hands into his side as he did so that he had long bloody lines running across his body.

The Kyuubi snarled and used the rest of his tails to ensnare my body and then flung me away from him. I landed on my side with the broken ribs and I gasped and shuddered as the pain traveled in strong waves throughout my body. The fox walked towards me and glared down at me with a poisonous look. He reared up, preparing to force all of his weight on my side.

"Earth Style, Inner Decapitation Jutsu," I said under my breath as I watched the fox's paws come closer and closer.

**Wham!**

The earth shook with the force that the Kyuubi had put into his paws. He realized that he hadn't hit me as I watched him from below the ground. My Sharingan was able to see through the rock and I watched as the demon fox began to sniff the ground. He caught my scent and began to dig. I tucked my wings close to my body and exploded out of the earth; right under the Kyuubi's stomach. I opened my jaws and sunk my teeth into his underbelly. I scratched at the rest of his stomach with the claws on my hands.

The cry of pain the fox issued deafened me. His blood dripped onto my face as I continued to tear at his guts. The Kyuubi tucked his head down and clamped onto my tail. He pulled hard on it and I felt my scales tear as if they were made of paper. I let go of his stomach as he flung me towards the mountain range. Just before I hit, I opened my wings and they caught the wind so that I was pulled upwards with the draft. The fox glared as I landed perfectly on the mountain peaks. I glared back and blew a column of flame in his direction. He dodged it but was distracted by it and I took the opportunity to blow another round of flames. These burned his sides causing him to howl.

A sudden wave of exhaustion overcame me and I almost toppled off the mountain. I was using a lot of chakra by keeping my body in such a huge form as well as the fact that I'd had to bring my giant mass underground. On top of that I was losing a lot of blood. I had to finish this quickly otherwise I wouldn't make it. I was so glad that I didn't have to make hand signs in my dragon form.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" the Kyuubi froze as a hundred white, red and yellow dragons encircled him.

We reared up and projected a roar towards the center of the circle. The sound would've caused any human in the vicinity to go deaf instantly and permanently. However, my ears were not affected but the Kyuubi was smart enough to cover his tall ears with two of his tails.

I snarled and lunged with my clones simultaneously. The Kyuubi swung his tails around and destroyed about half of my clones before the rest of us sunk our teeth and claws into whatever red fur we could reach. I sat back and listened to the yelp of the Kyuubi get cut short by one of my clone's tail blades embedding itself in his throat.

I let the clones shred the corpse until I felt even more fatigued. I let go of the Jutsu; my chakra was almost gone. My clones disappeared in a cloud of smoke and I waited patiently for it to clear. Once it did I caught sight of the gory body of the Kyuubi; its blood mixed with its red fur so it was hard to tell where my clones had pierced his skin. I looked at the giant tail gash across the Kyuubi's throat and listened for breathing or a heartbeat… nothing. I sighed with relief now that my mission was completed and then flinched as my brain became conscious of my injuries. I distributed my weight equally on all fours and turned slowly in the direction of the village.

I had only taken a few steps when something hard hit me on the right of my head. I crumpled to the ground and twisted my head this way and that to try and figure out what had hit me. My vision blurred and I could only make out a red blob. I gasped as my sight cleared and the Kyuubi stood strong and powerful before me. I watched in shock as the deep gash in his neck healed at an unbelievable rate. All my effort had been for nothing!

I staggered to my feet and faced the Kyuubi.

"You're all worn out; how do you expect to defeat me now?" the Kyuubi sneered, his eyes narrowing.

The fox crouched and I watched as he leapt at me. Thanks to my Sharingan I was able to see where he was going to land but I wasn't fast enough to react. The Kyuubi crashed to the ground and slid, hitting my left front leg and causing it to bend in a way that it never should.

I leapt sideways awkwardly, cautiously holding my broken leg off the ground. I solidified my three legged stance and looked back at the Kyuubi. Too late, I didn't have enough time to react as another tail landed hard on the left side of my head.

I nearly lost consciousness as I fell onto my right side which already concealed my broken ribs. I struggled to keep my eyes open and watched as the surrounding area turned fuzzy again. I roared in pain as the demon fox sunk his teeth into my tail. He struggled to lift me half way off the ground and then spun around.

I felt him relinquish his grip on my tail and the wind whipped past me as I hurtled through the air. I was losing out on the battle to keep myself conscious and as a result I let go of my dragon form. I felt myself shrink and my beautiful scales softened and returned to a creamy shade of skin.

I heard multiple sickening cracks as the right side of my body collided first with the mountain. My right side was completely smashed and the pain that resulted hurt a thousand times worse than the broken ribs I'd received earlier. I screamed but ended up choking on blood as I began to fall to the base of the mountain.

Small rocks protruding from the mountain face gave me small cuts as I continued my fall. A small cliff jutting out of the mountain broke my fall. I felt more pain flood my body as I broke both of my legs and landed with most of my weight on my right side.

I watched through cloudy vision as the Kyuubi took a few steps towards me. I was eye level with him as I lay on my stomach, regarding him with my pained left eye.

"I hope you die brat. Slow and painful," The Kyuubi snarled and glared at me once more with his evil red eyes.

He turned slowly and started in the direction of the village. I thought maybe I was hallucinating because the next thing I knew a giant frog appeared in a cloud of smoke. A tiny figure silhouetted by the moon stood bravely on its head. I watched confused as the figure moved his arms like he was making hand signs and then held something tiny up before him. There was a flash of light and then the Kyuubi disappeared. The figure on top of the toad fell and I closed my eyes, unconsciousness consumed me…

I opened my eyes slowly. I was looking at something brown with my right eye and my left saw a completely destroyed forest. The Kyuubi flashed through my mind and I jerked around to try and find it. Pain struck me like lightning and I screamed. The sound echoed throughout the mountains and bounced off what was left of the trees.

I realized that my right arm was the only thing that wasn't broken but if I moved it, it would pull on the wounds in my shoulder. I couldn't move a muscle without causing agony. I lay there silently, I couldn't heal myself and calling out for help was useless; no one could hear me and it wasn't likely that they would save me. I had let the village down and the Kyuubi had probably already destroyed it...

Then I remembered the toad and the strange figure causing the Kyuubi to disappear. Had that been a hallucination or had it really happened?

I shivered involuntarily and caused another strike of pain to shoot through my body. I gasped and looked at my left arm which lay at an awkward angle. There was no feeling coming from it but when I tried to move it pain prevented me from budging it any further.

Rain began to fall at that moment, washing away some of the blood that coated my body. I grew cold and began to shiver frequently, causing my right side to throb and sent off shoots of pain everywhere. I yelped every time and began to cough up blood. My head soon lay in a pool of red liquid and my hair soaked up most of it. The smell was terrible but I couldn't move my face away from the bloody mess.

I knew Death was coming to get me. There was no way someone would find me in time and I was losing too much blood and body heat; not so mention my crushed right side. I closed my eyes; hoping that the pain would end soon…

I was aware of cold beads hitting my face as I came to and I heard something trot towards me as I lay on the cliff. I opened my eyes to see a fuzzy world and something big and white stood before me; an angel?

"Reicheru?" a gruff voice asked.

I tried to focus on the white blurry thing with my left eye. How did the angel know my name?

The angel came closer and something black blocked my view. Suddenly my vision cleared and I realized I was staring at a wet nose; a wolf nose to be exact.

"W-white…Fang?" I asked shakily.

An affectionate lick on the nose confirmed it. White Fang backed up a few steps towards the edge of the cliff so that I could have a better view of him without having to move. His white coat was drenched with rain and his eyes were full of distress as they assessed my visible injuries.

"I saw the whole thing. That fox was huge and you put up a great fight," White Fang spoke calmly as he watched the blood trickle out of me.

I didn't smile at the compliment. Honestly, his words didn't even make sense to me.

"I-I'm g-going….to die," I choked out, watching the reaction on the wolf's face.

"No you are not!" he snarled "I was running here when all of a sudden I heard you scream. I figured you were hurt badly so I rushed back to the village to get help," the wolf explained.

"Who'd you g-get?" I asked coughing up more blood.

"I'm sorry, but I ran into Kakashi and Pakkun so I got them to follow me here," White Fang lowered his tail knowing that I didn't want Kakashi to know about him.

"N-no!" I yelled but the strain sent agonizing shots of pain up my right side.

Kakashi couldn't know about me being a dragon. He couldn't know about White Fang or his name. It would destroy everything if Kakashi learned the truth. Then again, our friendship had already been altered because of the fight in the clearing earlier today… Plus it would've been hard for him to miss a giant dragon battling a huge fox. No, this would ruin things even more.

**Thud, thud!**

Two things landed on the far side of the cliff. I didn't dare turn my head to look and see who it was; partly because it would hurt and partly because I already knew who had come.

Something small and brown trotted up to White Fang. I watched as the pug sat beside the white wolf and looked up at him with his sad brown eyes.

"You really should've slowed down. We lost sight of you and had to follow your scent which wasn't easy because this stupid rain is washing it away," Pakkun said in a slightly frustrated voice.

"Yeah, well you found me so that's all that matters," White Fang replied curtly.

I stared at the bickering animals and watched as Pakkun looked me over with his giant eyes.

"How bad is she injured?" Pakkun asked, looking back at the wolf.

"I don't know the exact extent of the damage but she'll die if we don't get her healed soon," White Fang glanced over at something that stood at the far end of the cliff.

I dared to move my head to look in the same direction. I bit my lip so that I wouldn't scream from the pain I was causing.

My left eye recognized the silver hair that was soaked from the falling rain. Kakashi still wore his ANBU uniform but he had removed his headband so that I stared up at the emotionless mismatched eyes. There was no way I could tell what he was thinking while he kept his emotionless mask on. I grimaced and looked away.

"Can you carry her back to the village?" White Fang asked Kakashi.

"Y-yes, of course!" White Fang's voice had startled Kakashi out of his thoughts.

I watched as a worried look took over his face as he walked over and knelt down beside me.

"Can you roll over onto your back so that I can pick you up?" Kakashi asked, resting his right hand on my left shoulder.

"N-no…" I croaked; it even hurt to talk now.

"Okay, I'm very sorry if this hurts…" Kakashi's eyes apologized but his voice didn't reflect it.

"W-what are you-" I screamed in pain as Kakashi pushed me gently onto my back.

Pakkun and White Fang both jumped at the sound and White Fang snarled. Kakashi gently slipped one hand under my back and the other under my legs. He lifted me off the ground cautiously but I cried out again as he put pressure on the broken side of my back and my broken legs. I almost blacked out again from the pain and my eyesight went blurry.

"Watch it!" White Fang growled.

"You try picking her up without hurting her!" Kakashi whipped back. "It'll be easier not to jostle her once we start running back to the village," Kakashi's tone had lost the little bit of emotion it had had.

I felt Kakashi's grip on me tighten as he started to leap down the mountain face. I heard the faint sound of paw pads slapping against the rock behind us. I clutched at Kakashi's shirt with my right hand before I fell unconscious once again…


	8. Chapter 7

Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto while the rest belong to me

* * *

Chapter VII: Recovery

Chapter VII: Recovery

**(One hour later)**

The whisper of Healing Jutsu filled my ears as green light somehow found its way under my eyelids. I barely had enough energy to open my eyes halfway. I really didn't want to see my damaged body but if I was able to open my eyes then that meant that I might able to survive.

My vision was blurry but it cleared after a few moments once I'd forced my eyelids open. I was in a dark room and there was a cold steel table supporting me. I had no blanket on me but I had bindings across my chest and something was wrapped around my waist; a towel.

I watched as four people clad in white moved their glowing hands over my body. One hand paused over my left arm and the green chakra intensified. I felt my bones shift and reconnect themselves but it caused a lot of pain in the process. I couldn't control the scream that burst from my lips.

The lady who had been healing my arm jumped back in fright; she hadn't realized that I'd woken up. The other medical ninja looked up at the nurse and then back at me.

"Didn't you give her enough morphine?" an irritated voice demanded from further away.

"Ka…ka…shi?" I whispered but even the tiny strain on my lungs caused me to cough up blood.

"I'm here," Kakashi said gently as he approached the operating table.

He'd put his headband back on so all that was visible was his right eye. My vision became fuzzy again but when I was able to focus he looked slightly worried. That didn't seem right though, he'd been angry with me on the cliff and after the fight in the clearing. Why would he be worried after he saw my transformation and fight with the Kyuubi? That was a stupid question; he was my best friend no matter what. Even though he was my best friend, I didn't want him to see my like this; bloody and broken. Plus I wasn't wearing much other than bindings and a makeshift skirt.

"G-go… away…" I muttered.

"What… why?" Kakashi's eye and voice were full of hurt.

"P-please… I-I d-don't want you h-here…" I closed my eyes once again.

"But I-" Kakashi's voice trembled.

"Kakashi, it's better if you leave. We'll be able to put her back under and that will help with the healing. She'll die if we don't continue with the treatment right away," one of the male medical ninjas said urgently.

Kakashi's shuffling feet were barely audible as he left the operating room. I hadn't wanted to hurt his feelings but that had seemed like the only thing I could do in order to get him to leave. My friendship with Kakashi would be destroyed now that he knew my secret. The only way I'd be able to fix it was if I told him the whole story… Even then he would probably be more scared of me than he was now.

A medical ninja placed an oxygen mask over my face and then injected a sedative into my right arm.

I debated whether or not I should tell Kakashi the whole story as the drug began to take effect. No, I decided I wouldn't tell him. It would ruin our friendship but maybe I'd be able to fix it without telling him; although that seemed like an unlikely possibility. I fell into unconsciousness just as I heard the whisper of Healing Jutsu start up again.

_I was running through a forest of cherry trees with White Fang. We were both much younger and White Fang's eyes had not yet adopted that judgmental, fatherly look. I was happy, and then suddenly the forest of cherry trees turned sinister and black. The two of us came to a halt in our joyous stroll. _

"_Kill the monster!" multiple people shouted._

_I saw them emerge slowly from the darkness. There were four adults and one boy my age. They were all armed with swords, kunai, shuriken, pitchforks and even torches. I took a step away from the black haired people with red Sharingan eyes. The small boy approached me with a look that told me he was going to regret what he did next. He lifted the small sword he held and stabbed it through my heart. I gasped at the pain as the blood gushed out. Why had the boy I loved done this to me? I loved him and he loved me! I looked up at the terrified eyes of the youngster as I transformed into my dragon form and my eyes became slits..._

"NO!" I cried and sat upright quickly, causing me to scream in pain.

"Holy crap, you scared me," White Fang's voice came from somewhere nearby.

I bent over panting, trying not to jostle any other part of my body. The pain was unbearable. I glanced over at the place where White Fang's voice had drifted from. It was hard to pick him out in the darkness but I realized that he was sitting on a chair to the right of my bed.

"You probably hurt your ribs sitting up like that. I'll call the nurse," White Fang lifted a paw and pressed a button on the rail of my cot. "You always have nightmares after you transform," White Fang's yellow eyes glowed eerily in the moonlight as it streamed in from a window on my left.

"I hate this part," I muttered bitterly.

"You only have them because of what happened… Well you know…" White Fang stopped himself as I grimaced.

I looked down at my left arm which was in a cast, supported by a sling. My whole torso was bandaged and a few strands of it wrapped around my shoulders to cover the wounds where the Kyuubi's claws had cut me. I felt a few layers of bandages dig into my neck as I assessed my injuries and vivid memories of the Kyuubi's teeth sinking into the soft skin there flooded my mind. I tried to bend my legs but found it impossible. I lifted the soft white blanket covering me and confirmed that they too were in casts. White Fang regarded me closely as I fidgeted.

"You should see what your face looks like," he muttered.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked as I lifted my right hand to touch my cheek.

"It was all cut and bruised when we first found you and then the medical ninja realized that you'd fractured your skull. You're face is covered in wrappings… You look like a mummy," White Fang tried half heartedly to make a joke.

I glared at him and felt the bandages that covered my face and sighed.

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked quietly, inspecting my right hand which just had a few tiny band-aids covering some scratches.

"It's only been a couple days since your battle with the Kyuubi," White Fang watched for my reaction.

I grimaced again, not wanting to think about it. Obviously the village had not been destroyed since I was in Konoha's hospital. Still, I had let the village down and the mystery man had saved the village instead. I was just about to ask White Fang about the man on the giant frog when the nurse walked in.

"Oh, shoo, get out of here you mutt," the nurse waved her hands at White Fang.

White Fang snarled menacingly and the lady took a few steps back.

"He's with me," I smiled apologetically at her.

"Oh, okay," she walked closer to my bed but kept her distance from White Fang the whole time. "What seems to be the problem?" she smiled sweetly.

"I think she knocked some ribs out of place," White Fang explained and suppressed a snicker as the nurse jumped in surprise.

"R-right," she kept an eye on White Fang as she pulled out a needle. "This is just a pain killer that will put you to sleep as well. I'll heal your ribs a bit once you're asleep. Your injuries from the Kyuubi seem to take longer to heal than normal wounds. It's quite worrisome," she said quietly as I lay back down, wincing.

She stuck the needle in my arm and injected the fluid. I immediately became drowsy and I glanced over at White Fang.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," he said reassuringly as he recognized the look in my eye.

I nodded; I hated being defenceless. I closed my eyes and welcomed the darkness as I fell into a deep sleep.

I hadn't completely awoken but I was conscious of there being people in the room.

"Here, put him here," the lady nurse who tended to me whispered.

"Alright, I think he's fine, just a little tired from the excitement four days ago," a deep, rough, male voice answered.

"Then why did you bring him here?" the nurse asked.

"I can't take care of him, I'm busy now. Plus I need someone to watch him and make sure that the seal is holding the Kyuubi inside him," the male voice replied.

"What if something does happen?" the nurse sounded panicked.

"Then call for me, but I'm pretty sure the Fourth Hokage's Jutsu is stronger than the Kyuubi," I heard footsteps walking away.

"Wait, how long is he supposed to stay here?" the nurse wasn't very good at hiding her fear.

"When he's old enough to live on his own; I think six would be a good age. Just make sure that no harm comes to Naruto," I heard the door open and then slide shut with a quiet click.

The nurse sighed and then I heard her leave as well. I waited a few seconds and then opened my eyes.

Pale light entered the room from the window to my left. I looked out of it and realized that the sun was setting. The sunsets were always beautiful in Konoha. I tilted my head to the right so that my left eye had a clear view of White Fang who was resting on the chair beside my bed. He picked his head up from his paws and gazed at me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he sat up.

"Nothing hurts as long as I don't move," I smiled weakly.

A crib sat closest to the door a few feet away from me. Familiar blond hair was all that I could see from where I lay. I sat up extremely slowly to get a better view but even the small movement sent pain winding down my right side.

"Who's this?" I asked as I regarded the tiny infant; he couldn't be more than a few weeks old.

"Naruto…Uzumaki," White Fang watched me carefully.

"Right, I'd heard that Yondaime-sama had had a kid," I smiled at the sleeping baby.

His hair and features looked exactly like Yondaime's but I noticed that there were three lines on each of his cheeks. I frowned, something the man with the gruff voice had said was bothering me.

"What did that man say about the Kyuubi being sealed inside him?" my voice shook angrily.

"After you failed to kill the Kyuubi, Yondaime realized that trying to kill it was pointless since it had the power to heal. He ran into the clearing and summoned his toad to protect him and from atop its head he performed a Jutsu that allows the user to seal the soul of the demon inside a chosen body causing the demon to loose its own body. However, performing this Jutsu means that the user has to give his own life…" White Fang tensed, sensing my raging emotions.

"You mean… Yondaime's dead?" I held back my tears of anger and sadness.

White Fang nodded and I clenched my right fist. I was frustrated with myself. If I had been more careful and killed the Kyuubi, then Yondaime would still be alive. This was yet another death that I now had to blame myself for. My knuckles turned white as I dug my nails deeper into my palm.

I glared at the baby angrily. If I could kill the Kyuubi then maybe it would take away part of the guilt I felt. Besides, if the Kyuubi hadn't come in the first place then none of this would've happened. I wouldn't be in the hospital and Yondaime would still be alive.

I felt my eyes turn to slits as the angry dragon part of my brain started to emerge; the part of me that was awakened by hatred and run purely on the instinct to kill. I growled and started to rise from my bed.

"NO!" White Fang leapt at me from the chair and landed painfully on my chest.

"Ouch! Get off of me! If I can just kill him…" I wrestled with White Fang, trying to push him off of me but he was too heavy and I too weak.

"Listen to yourself! Get back in control! He's just a kid!" White Fang growled in my ear.

"No! You don't understand!" I screeched.

"You monster; he's an innocent baby!" White Fang stared at me with his yellow eyes as I froze suddenly.

That did it, I regained control and my eyes returned to normal. White Fang's eyes were apologetic, he knew that I thought of myself as a monster and if anyone ever said that to my face, I'd fall apart. He leapt off of me and back onto his chair. I curled up into a ball and whimpered, trying to ignore the pain.

"Yondaime used his last words to tell the villagers to look to Naruto as a hero, not a monster," White Fang explained, watching my every twitch.

I glared at the wolf but banished the anger from my eyes. I took a few deep breaths and then slowly straightened my body on the bed again.

"I'm sorry," I whispered and I clutched at my ribs as they throbbed; White Fang had hurt them again when he'd landed on me.

"It's not your fault…" White Fang said kindly as he pressed the call button on my bed's railing.

I sighed; what would I do without White Fang?

"Where's his mom, Kushina Uzumaki?" I asked closing my eyes.

"She's dead," White Fang looked at Naruto as he started to cry.

"Perfect… So I have to room with him for the length of my stay," I winced as I realized how harsh that sounded and White Fang's expression confirmed it.

I fell silent as I listened to the baby wail. The nurse walked in eventually and realized I was awake but tended to Naruto first. Once he was quiet she walked over to me, keeping her distance from White Fang.

"What'd you hurt now?" she asked slightly irritated.

"My ribs, I moved too fast," the nurse sighed as I explained.

"You know you're going to be stuck in here much longer than necessary if you keep doing this," the nurse pulled out a needle and filled it with some sort of liquid from a vile in a cupboard nearby.

"Yeah, whatever," I mumbled and the nurse gave me a dirty look.

"I'm going to give you a stronger sedative than before. It sort of puts you in a coma so you'll be out for awhile. That'll give me enough time to heal your ribs and then we can wheel you down to the operating room where some other medical ninja will heal your wounds some more," the nurse explained.

"Yeah, okay," the nurse didn't like my non-communication.

I watched as she inserted the needle into my arm again. The drug started to take effect and I was only able to stay awake long enough to watch her attach me to an IV that would be my source of nutrients for the period that I would be asleep. My eyes slowly closed and the last thing I saw was White Fang gazing at Naruto's crib.

"How long has she been asleep?" a rough voice asked.

"Two months since she woke up last. They've had her strapped to so many machines that I've lost count," White Fang whispered.

"Is she healing at least?" the rough voice asked in a concerned tone.

"Yes, they take her down every two days for treatment but it's not enough for her to be able to get up and walk away. She has way more strength than those four medical ninja put together and it's going to take a long time to rebuild it since the Kyuubi's wounds are harder to heal. Her bones have healed more but she still has to be confined to her bed," White Fang sighed, relieved at the prospect that I was healing even if it was just a tiny bit.

"Oh… When is she going to wake up?" I realized that the voice belonged to Pakkun as I opened my eyes just a crack.

"Sometime soon, the sedative is wearing off," White Fang noted.

"I can't believe that a girl with so much power sustained so many injuries. Well, I guess the Kyuubi was an unfair adversary with his healing powers," Pakkun paused as White Fang tensed; the wolf believed that I could take on anything.

"Yeah, well she'll heal eventually and then she'll train and become even stronger," White Fang said optimistically and then glanced over at Naruto who was sleeping soundly. "I want to thank you for coming to save her," White Fang lowered his head.

"Thank Kakashi; he was the one who carried her here. Umm…I don't mean to pry but you never told us your name or your relation to Tatsue when you found us. You just said '_Reicheru's in trouble; please help her_,'" Pakkun watched White Fang carefully.

"I'm her summoned animal," Pakkun didn't really react to that information; it was an easy assumption.

"And?" Pakkun prompted.

"I'm forbidden to say the last part," White Fang was still looking at his feet.

Relief washed through me; White Fang hadn't told Kakashi or Pakkun his name! However, would Pakkun be able to piece together who I really was by knowing that I had a wolf summons? Oh well, it didn't really matter now. The whole village knew I was a dragon and they could probably guess which clan I belonged to unless the secret had died with the first people who'd seen the Tatsuhas. No more hiding my last name now if that wasn't the case. I mentally flipped the letters in my last name around so that they spelt Tatsuha.

"His name is White Fang," I said as I found enough energy to sit up.

Both dogs snapped their heads towards me and Pakkun's eyes widened.

"You mean like Kakashi's-" Pakkun started to ask.

"Yes," I cut him off abruptly. "Please don't tell him though, he'd probably get angry or something. I know he doesn't think much of his dad," I explained while looking at my left arm which was still in a cast.

I analyzed the rest of my body and the same bandages were there but I felt a little more energetic. I wiggled my toes and fingers in the casts and realized that only a small amount of pain traveled through my limbs.

"When can I get these off?" I asked.

"The nurse said a few more months should do it but you'll need to do some physiotherapy so that you can regain the strength in them," White Fang explained but his eyes were sad.

"What?" I asked and Pakkun looked up at White Fang too.

"Your right side is still completely crushed and your skull is healing really slowly even with the treatment. You won't be able to leave here for a long time," the wolf said sullenly.

"Well, I can use my chakra to help heal my wounds too," I smiled and brought my right hand over my left arm.

"No!" White Fang startled me as he leapt onto my bed but was careful to avoid hitting me. "You're still too weak to use your chakra. If you do use it, it'll take even longer for you to heal," White Fang pushed my hand away and lay down on my lap facing me.

"Fine," I said and I began to pet him.

"Kakashi's coming," Pakkun announced as his ears twitched.

"Please don't tell him…" my eyes pleaded with Pakkun's.

"I know, but one day you will have to," Pakkun's voice was barely audible as Naruto began to cry.

I didn't know if Pakkun just meant that I had to tell Kakashi about White Fang or my whole history in general.

All three heads whipped around to face the door as it clicked open and Kakashi walked in. He slid the door closed behind him and stopped to look at the infant wailing in the crib. Naruto stopped crying for a minute but upon seeing Kakashi's masked face he began to cry again.

"That is why I hate babies," he muttered to no one in particular.

All three of us watched as he approached. He was as handsome as ever but he wore his ANBU uniform and oddly, he did not remove his animal mask. I could tell that he was wearing his headband to cover his Sharingan but his normal eye was obscured by darkness. There was no way I could read his emotions.

"Glad to see that you're up," Kakashi said but he didn't sound that happy; was he still mad at me?

I nodded and watched as he pulled up another chair to join the ranks of the other two which had been placed on my right for the dogs. White Fang rested his head on his paws and I continued to pet him as Kakashi stared at the wolf in my lap.

"What do you have against babies?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation light.

"They always cry or smell or are hungry and they're so dependant," Kakashi said shrugging.

"I'm sure you were just like that when you were a baby," I laughed at his remark.

"Well, I'm grown up now. I don't need anyone to take care of me," Kakashi said bluntly.

"You're only fourteen. We all need someone to take care of us once in awhile, even if we are grown up and super strong," I said thinking about my own predicament.

I didn't like Kakashi's surly attitude; was Naruto's crying making him so grumpy?

"Hush, Naruto," I said and I pointed my right hand in the baby's direction.

"What are you-" White Fang started to ask.

A string of chakra emerged from my index finger and floated over to the crib. The sparkly blue string entranced the baby and he started to giggle. I touched the chakra to his forehead and he fell asleep immediately. I sighed and let what was left of my chakra re-enter my body.

"It's not that hard to make a baby stop crying," I smiled weakly at Kakashi.

"That was dumb. Now you're exhausted and have to rest even longer in order to regain that small amount of chakra you just squandered," White Fang growled and leapt back to his chair.

"The Third Hokage doesn't want anyone to tell him about his family or the Kyuubi," Kakashi said quietly, looking down at his hands.

Did he blame me for Yondaime's death as well? I grimaced and lay back down, I was extremely tired.

"I definitely won't tell him anything about that night," I said quietly.

"Or anyone else for that matter," Kakashi muttered.

White Fang growled slightly and Kakashi turned his head in the wolf's direction.

"We should go now Pakkun. Reicheru needs her rest," Kakashi stood and Pakkun hopped down from his chair.

They left without saying goodbye.

"Well he sure is a pleasant young man," White Fang said sarcastically.

I sighed; I was frustrated with myself and Kakashi. It was my fault he was so rude; if only I had enough courage to tell him the truth. I closed my eyes and ran different scenarios through my head about Kakashi's reaction if I told him the whole story until I fell asleep.

Two years had passed since Kakashi had brought me to the hospital. I was sixteen but I hadn't envisioned myself celebrating my birthdays in the hospital. It hadn't been too bad though, White Fang, Kakashi and Pakkun had all helped me celebrate. Even though Kakashi never spent more than half an hour in my room, Pakkun visited for longer periods and more frequently. I was always glad to see them and I talked with them as much as I could before I exhausted myself.

My wounds had completely healed and I'd been able to remove my bandages and replace them with normal clothes. The only reminders of the Kyuubi's attack were three long scars that ran down both of my shoulders. Even though I was completely healed I hadn't been released from the hospital because I became tired quicker than normal and I had to go to physical therapy.

I'd excelled at the therapy though and my reflexes were as good as they used to be; if not better. I'd awed the medical ninja with how fast I'd passed the physio and they were talking about letting me go in the next few days.

I was still in the same room as Naruto and it had been fascinating to watch him grow. The nurses hadn't always been available to take care of him so once I was a little better they'd asked me to feed him and such. I also took the liberty of teaching him how to walk and talk. Naruto wasn't the quickest learner or patient, but he'd eventually surpassed the standards I'd set for him. The only problem was that he was a little annoying. He'd climb out of his bed in the middle of the night and jump on me to try and get me to play with him. It wasn't that bad though and most of the time I would give in to his pleadings. Then there was the issue of him calling me his mother from time to time. As much as it thrilled me to be accepted as a mother I'd had to get him to understand that I wasn't his mother without telling him who his real mom was. He'd eventually understood and he'd called me _'Reicheru'_ since then. White Fang was very patient with the boy as well and always reminded me that I had to watch what I said.

I walked over to my window. The sky was a brilliant blue and the trees and grass were as lush and green as ever. I sighed; I hadn't been allowed outside in two years and I was beginning to become claustrophobic.

"You'll be out soon," White Fang said quietly.

"Shh! I don't want Naruto to hear you," I whispered angrily, turning to the wolf who sat on my bed.

White Fang had stayed with me the whole two years, only leaving to catch a quick meal.

"He has to learn that you won't be here forever," White Fang sighed, looking over at the sleeping toddler.

"I know but he's only a baby. He's lost everything… How do you think he'll feel when I leave?" I walked over to stand beside the crib.

"I know but he's going to have to deal with it," the wolf sighed and closed his eyes.

"He needs a mother at the very least," I whispered.

"You're only sixteen and besides you don't have time to care for a kid. You've already become too attached to him," White Fang snapped.

"You're just saying that because when wolf pups reach this age you usually kick them out of the pack. It's not the same for humans. Our offspring need to be cared for, for at least a sixth of their lives," I snarled.

"You had to learn to live on your own because your parents died. Your case is no different than Naruto's," White Fang's eyes glittered, he'd won the argument.

I crossed my arms and walked back to my bed. I sat down and White Fang curled himself around me.

"It's my fault that he has no father," I whispered into the wolf's ears.

All he did was nuzzle my arm in an effort to comfort me. White Fang knew that it was pointless to try and convince me that Yondaime's death wasn't my fault. No matter what he said I continued to blame myself.

"Kakashi's coming," White Fang said quietly.

I didn't have time to respond because Kakashi slid the door open at that exact moment. The sight of me hugging my knees and White Fang curled around me must have been a strange one. I let go of my legs and slung them over the side of the bed.

Kakashi wore his ANBU uniform as usual and did not attempt to remove his mask. I never could tell what he was thinking or feeling anymore.

"Hey," he said in a more cheerful tone than usual.

"Hi," I smiled; the sight of him always made me feel better.

"So I hear you're going to be released soon," Kakashi looked at my left arm which no longer had a cast on it. "Has your left arm still not healed?" he asked, pointing to the bandage that I always wore around my forearm.

"It's healed," I snapped back, he wasn't going to trick me into saying what it concealed.

"I was just asking," Kakashi said, his surly attitude returning.

I was just about to say something else when the door to the room opened once again. I was surprised to see the Third Hokage waltz in and the three of us watched as he approached Naruto's bed to regard the sleeping infant.

White Fang had informed me that when Yondaime had been killed that the Third had taken his post. I liked the Third but he was a little too old to be the leader of Fire Country in my opinion. I didn't really understand why they hadn't just chosen someone younger to protect the country. There was nothing I could do about it though, what's done was done.

"I'll be taking you to a new home once I'm done with my visit here," the Hokage told Naruto happily.

I was surprised, what could the Hokage possibly want with me?

Three pairs of eyes watched the Hokage carefully as he approached my bed.

"You look well Tatsue," commented the Third.

"Arigato," I whispered and bowed my head.

This man knew everything about me; he was even the one who'd given me my house when he'd brought me back to the village when I was four.

"I've just spoken to the head medical ninja and you are free to leave," I smiled up at the Hokage as he delivered the good news but then I glanced over at Naruto.

"What about Naruto-kun?" I asked.

"He'll be fine," the Third's eyes twinkled.

I nodded, what would happen to me now though?

"You, however, have a job to do," it was as if he had heard my question.

"What is it Hokage-sama?" I asked politely, Kakashi was listening intently.

"You are still the village's secret weapon. It is still your duty to protect us and you can't very well do that sitting in the hospital," the Hokage sported a giant grin but I was shocked.

"B-but…I…" I stuttered and the Hokage held up a hand to stop me.

"What happened with the Kyuubi is irrelevant. You are still one of the most skilled kunoichi in the world. You can defeat any opponent you want with a little extra training," the old man smiled encouragingly, then continued. "I'm glad that Kakashi-kun is here as well; saves me a trip. You two are going to be a two-man cell."

Kakashi stiffened as my jaw dropped. How were we supposed to work together if he could barely stand me?

"While you've been in the hospital, Kakashi's made quite a legend of himself; the Copy Ninja, as he is now called throughout our world. People are also talking about you Tatsue, the Dragon Lady. By putting you two together, we'd have an invincible team. You'd only be assigned A and S-ranked missions because of your skills though. I will hold a small test for you, Reicheru, in a week to make sure that you've healed enough to take on these missions. So I suggest that you start training right away," I gaped as the Hokage continued smiling.

Kakashi was still in the same position he'd been in a few minutes ago. The Hokage chuckled and then walked over to Naruto's bed. He bent over and scooped the baby into his arms and walked towards the door.

"Thank you for your time," he said as he slid the door closed behind him with his free hand.

There was silence for the next five minutes. Kakashi turned his head towards me and stared. The light coming in from my window illuminated his mask and I was finally able to see his right eye. There were so many emotions there; surprise, frustration, worry, suspicion, and terror. I wondered what he saw in my own.

White Fang barked suddenly and we both were brought back from our separate thoughts. Kakashi stared at me for a few more seconds but his eye was back in darkness. He stood abruptly and left without saying goodbye. I stared at the door after he'd left.

Four years ago I had wanted nothing more than to be on the same squad as Kakashi; now I dreaded it.

I got up from my bed and grabbed my few belongings that were strewn about the room. I stuffed them in my leg holster and headed towards the door. I paused and looked at Naruto's empty bed. What would happen to him now? I shook my head; it wasn't my problem. I opened the door and White Fang leapt off the bed and ran out ahead of me.

I gave the room one last glance before flicking off the lights and sliding the door shut.


	9. Chapter 8

Naruto characters belong to masashi kishimoto and the rest are mine... do not steal it's bad

* * *

Chapter VIII: ANBU Reinstatement Test

Chapter VIII: ANBU Reinstatement Test

**(Five minutes later) **

I bounded higher and higher with every step, using my chakra to give me an extra boost. White Fang scampered along beside me. We were finally heading home! The wonderful feeling of wind rushing past my face and making my hair writhe was making my heart sing with joy. Everything smelt fresh; it was good to be free.

We arrived at my house soon after. White Fang rushed inside ahead of me via the doggy door. I laughed, he was glad to be home too.

The yard looked a little overgrown but easily tameable. I unlocked the front door and gasped. Every open surface was covered in dust; it would take forever to clean. Plus, I figured that all the perishable food in the fridge had long since done so. White Fang trotted over to me and disturbed all the dust. He sneezed and I watched as the particles settled on him and turned his snow white coat, grey so that it resembled Kakashi's hair.

"This'll take forever to clean!" I complained glancing at White Fang for help.

"Don't look at me, I can't help. No opposable thumbs, remember?" he gave me his wolf grin.

I sighed; I'd have to do this all alone… Suddenly, an idea struck me, I could use Shadow Clones and I had more than enough chakra stored up to do it now.

"That's fine White Fang, I've got it taken care of," I smiled and made the hand signs.

A giant cloud of smoke erupted around me and once it had cleared twenty of me were crammed in my entry way.

"Alright, ten of you go fix up the yard and the rest of us will work on the house," I commanded my clones.

Nineteen heads bobbed and then flew off in multiple directions. I helped with the vacuuming and dusting while I made one of my clones clean the fridge. The poor thing had to hold her nose because of the ghastly smell.

We had the house clean in a few hours but I was exhausted. I hadn't used chakra in so long and even doing something as simple as Shadow Clones was tiring.

I walked outside and saw that the clones were just finishing trimming the last trees as another clone was just returning from getting some groceries. I let the Jutsu go a few minutes later and they all disappeared in a cloud of smoke. White Fang trotted up to me, his coat sopping wet but at least it was white again.

"Where did you go off to?" I asked eyeing him.

"One of your clones jumped me and gave me a bath," he growled.

"Well, you look very handsome now," I giggled.

"Oh yeah?" he shot me a wolf grin and then shook, water sprayed everywhere.

"I didn't need a bath," I reminded him, pointing at my now damp clothes.

"My mistake," a very fluffy White Fang said.

I sighed; sometimes he acted just like a cub.

"I'm off to go train now," I announced and turned to jump into the trees.

"Hold it! You're in no state to train today. You've already used enough chakra, you should rest up and practice tomorrow," White Fang suggested but it sounded more like a command.

I turned around slowly and trudged back to the house, grumbling all the while about how I wasn't _his_ cub. White Fang chuckled and followed me inside, tail wagging.

I woke around nine the next morning and got dressed without waking White Fang who lay on my carpet. I wore my normal clothes today since I technically was an inactive ANBU. There would be no missions for me to go on for this whole week.

I tip-toed into the kitchen and pulled my backpack out of a cupboard. I packed a lunch and some extra kunai knives and shuriken inside it. They made loud clinking sounds when they touched as I lifted the bag onto my shoulder.

I walked to the foyer and began to pull on my black sandals. I was just about to open the door when I heard the faint pad of paws coming down the hall. I peeked over my shoulder and saw White Fang, wagging his tail and staring at me hopefully.

"You can come. We have to train hard together if we want to survive S-ranked missions," I said, holding the door open so White Fang could walk out before me.

"YES!" White Fang reared up and then bounded out the door, barking happily.

I smiled and jogged to catch up to the wolf after I'd locked the door.

"Where are we going to train?" White Fang asked enthusiastically.

"The clearing with the giant rock," it had been so long since I'd last been there.

A few minutes later we landed in the clearing. I stared at the giant rock, and for a moment, I saw Yondaime-sensei, Yoko-sensei, a younger Kakashi and a younger me sitting there, eating lunch and laughing.

"Reicheru!" White Fang brought me back to the present.

"Hmm?" I looked at him, puzzled.

"You okay?" White Fang's yellow eyes were worried.

"I'm fine," I failed at trying to sound convincing.

I was okay but I missed the good old days. I sighed; they would never come back.

"Come on, let's do some basic stuff to warm up," I leapt onto the rock and began some Taijutsu moves.

I practiced various kicks, spins and punches, plus everything else I could remember that I used to do with Taijutsu. I pulled out some shuriken and kunai knives and made Genjutsu targets; I hit the bull's-eye every single time.

Around noon I fell back on the rock, slightly exhausted.

"You haven't used much chakra and you're already spent. Are you sure you feel well enough to do this?" White Fang inquired from his position on the rock.

"I just need to take a break," I wiped sweat from my brow and then rummaged in my backpack for the lunch I'd made.

"Is there anything in there for me?" White Fang asked hopefully.

"I brought some dog biscuits," I held up a small baggy and White Fang made a face. "Just kidding, there's some sliced pork in here for you," I tossed him a few pieces and he caught them easily as they sailed through the air.

We finished our lunch in fifteen minutes which was just enough time for me to regain my strength. I stood and White Fang watched me carefully for any signs of weakness.

"Wolf Senses Jutsu," I said while making the hand signs.

"Let's see how well you've mastered this since you last showed me it," White Fang said as he stood. "What do you smell in the far right corner of the clearing?"

I sniffed and thousands of scents filled my nostrils.

"There's an ant carrying some of our lunch back to its colony over there," I pointed in the exact direction of the insect.

White Fang howled in triumph.

"Now tell me all that you hear," White Fang became a statue as he anticipated my answer.

"I hear birds flying a few miles away… The grass and trees whispering in the wind… There's a snake slithering through the grass, chasing a mouse just inside the forest…" I pointed in the directions that I heard the separate noises. "I hear a butterfly's wings and the bees in the flowers at the edge of the clearing and-" I paused as I heard a twig snap.

I froze and looked down at White Fang; his eyes told me that he'd heard it too. I closed my eyes and using my chakra, sensed for the source of the noise. I opened my eyes, shocked, and looked back down at White Fang who had recognized the person at the same time as me.

Kakashi…

There was another scent with him too…Pakkun. What did they want?

"A raccoon, there's a raccoon in the trees over there," I pointed in the opposite direction from where Kakashi hid.

"Very good," White Fang played along. "You've definitely mastered this Jutsu," he congratulated me.

"I use it in every battle," I said proudly making sure to avert my eyes from the certain spot in the trees.

I busied myself in the refilling of my equipment holster as I listened to the voices coming from the trees.

"That was close. That Jutsu is definitely a good one to have in battle," Pakkun whispered.

"You must be joking; she couldn't even tell that we were here. My stealth skills can beat that Jutsu any day," Kakashi bragged quietly.

"You underestimate her," Pakkun said sadly.

"Doubt it. That fight with the Kyuubi probably got her chakra network all messed up. She'll just hurt our chances of winning a battle," Kakashi replied smugly.

"If you don't think she's good enough then why are we here? You aren't copying any of her Jutsus are you?" Pakkun sounded shocked.

"Of course not! I'm just here to watch and make sure that she's as good as she used to be," Kakashi's voice was frustrated.

"There's something else, isn't there?" Pakkun asked suspiciously.

"Well, maybe if she needs a partner to practice with then maybe I could help. That way if she hurts herself there will be someone to take her back to the hospital," Kakashi's response was hurried.

"Sometimes I can't tell if you like her or not," Pakkun muttered.

"I don't like her! She's different now…" Kakashi spluttered angrily.

"Tell yourself whatever you want. Besides, she's no different from when you guys first met…" Pakkun's voice faded as he began to remember something.

"What does that mean? Reicheru hadn't learned that Transformation Jutsu yet and by learning it she's become evil… I told you that she attacked me!" Kakashi whispered angrily.

"You don't understand at all, do you?" Pakkun asked and I could picture him shaking his head in disappointment.

"What?! What aren't you telling me?" Kakashi's voice was getting louder.

"Nothing, and keep your voice down," Pakkun shot back.

So Pakkun did know my secret, or at least part of it. I tuned out their squabbling once I realized that Pakkun wouldn't give in to Kakashi's pleading.

I continued with my training as the two spies watched with interest. I started with Ninjutsu and performed all of my Fire Techniques, then Earth, followed by Water and then ordinary Academy level Jutsus. I toyed with ideas of new Jutsus that I could create but I put those aside. Today was just practicing to make sure that I could still use all of my Jutsus. I didn't want to exhaust myself too much by creating new ones right away. New Jutsus took a bit of time and trial and error which wasted a lot of chakra.

I moved onto Genjutsu after a few hours and tried to fool White Fang into thinking that he was being squeezed, dropped off a cliff, burnt by a volcano and caught in a tornado.

"You know this might be considered animal cruelty!" he called to me as he spun around in the tornado. "Kai!" he shouted and the tornado immediately disappeared.

"Yeah but I think the fact that you are a summons makes you an exception," I laughed, I was careful not to hurt him anyways.

White Fang tumbled to the ground and was able to land on his feet.

"Let's go home, I'm tired. We'll come back here tomorrow and practice," I made sure that my voice was loud enough so that it would carry back to Kakashi and Pakkun.

White Fang nodded and we leapt down from the rock and jogged into the trees. I overheard Pakkun yelling at Kakashi.

"Put that stupid book away! They're leaving," Pakkun squawked.

"But Icha Icha Paradise is _so_ good," Kakashi whined.

"You can read it when we get home. You should be paying more attention to her training…" Pakkun's voice faded as White Fang and I bounded farther and farther away.

What was Icha Icha Paradise?

The next day White Fang and I found ourselves in the clearing at nine o'clock.

I'd replenished my backpack the night before with snacks and extra weapons. White Fang guarded it on the rock as I warmed up; I performed the exact same Jutsus I'd done the day before.

This time I had already sensed Kakashi and Pakkun watching me from the trees.

"Shouldn't you be paying attention?" I heard Pakkun grumble.

"She's doing the exact same things she did yesterday. No new material that might make her stronger," Kakashi said as I heard the ruffle of pages.

Nothing new, I'd show him! I'd come up with a few new Jutsus overnight; White Fang didn't even know about them even though he was essential for them to work.

"Hey White Fang?" I called up to him.

"Hmm?" the wolf picked himself up.

"Come down here, I have a few new Jutsus I'd like to try out," I heard Pakkun whisper something to Kakashi but I couldn't make it out.

White Fang looked at me confused but scampered down from the rock and sat at my feet.

"Alright, I'm not exactly sure how well this'll work since I haven't completely tested it but at least it'll be something new we can use in battle," I explained.

"You never told me anything about new Jutsus," the wolf whimpered.

"You'll be fine. Ookami Expansion Jutsu!" I cried as I made the couple of hand signs that I thought would give me the right results.

I waited for the smoke to clear as it blocked my view of White Fang. I didn't have to wait long and I actually had to raise my gaze to make eye contact with the wolf once it had disappeared.

"What did you do?!" the wolf's voice was deeper but that only made the panic in it more obvious.

"I just made you bigger, no big deal," I shrugged and then took a closer look at him.

He was only half the size I was when I was in dragon form but he was still quite fearsome. If we were surrounded by enemy ninja he'd be able to protect me and take the majority of them down in one swipe. His claws and teeth were much bigger and sharper, deadly weapons in battle.

"This is actually pretty cool," White Fang wagged his tail as he walked around in a circle to get a better look at himself.

The ground shook slightly with every step but it wasn't that noticeable.

"I could also ride on your back and use my sword from up there," I smiled and White Fang looked down at me suspiciously.

"Why bother making me bigger when you could just transform into a dragon and protect yourself that way?" White Fang sat down and waited patiently for an explanation.

I froze and looked down at my feet. I didn't want Kakashi to hear about my nightmares. Making White Fang bigger to avoid nightmares was only part of why I had developed this Jutsu though. The other part was to avoid losing control and letting some enemy ninja see how valuable an asset I could be. I would be a target if anyone outside the Land of Fire knew about me and I already knew that rumours of the giant dragon that had fought the Kyuubi were spreading.

I bit my lip and began to tremble; I was already putting everyone I loved and my entire village in danger…

"I think I understand," White Fang said quietly and I heard a frustrated sigh come from the trees.

Did Kakashi honestly think that I could not sense him?

"So, did you come up with anything else?" White Fang asked, trying to distract me.

I looked up at him with grateful eyes and a faint smile of thanks for the change of topic. I backed up a few paces.

"Watch, Giant Ookami Transformation!" I finished my hand signs and let my arms hang by my sides.

A cloud of smoke obscured the view any living thing in the clearing had of me. The transformation was as quick as the change into my dragon form.

My body stretched and grew but only to about the same size as White Fang. I fell onto all fours and my hands and feet morphed into paws. My tail bone protruded from my back while sharp teeth filled my mouth and claws grew from my toes. My ears shifted to the top of my head while my blue eye turned yellow and the Sharingan one stayed red, as normal. Finally, thick, brown, glossy fur sprouted all over my body and I looked up in time to see the rest of the smoke clear.

White Fang jumped back in surprise as he caught sight of the giant, female, coffee brown wolf standing before him. I shook my body and then sat down, observing the white wolf with my mismatched eyes. I hated the fact that I had no bangs to cover my Sharingan but I would have to live with it.

"What do you think?" I wagged my bushy tail and mimicked the grin he always gave me.

"I-I don't know… I guess my first question is why do you need it when you've already got me?" There was a slight hint of hurt in his voice and I smiled apologetically.

"I still need you, but at least this way we'll be double the trouble. I can run faster like this than if I were human and this way I don't have to use my Wolf Senses Jutsu. On the downside, it uses a fair chunk of chakra to keep this form as oppose to my dragon one since it is technically another body for me. However, this form draws less attention than a dragon and I can hide my identity better. Also, we have the advantage because we can discuss tactics without speaking English," I kept my voice at a low whisper so that Kakashi wouldn't overhear.

I wagged my tail and to prove my point, I howled a long mournful cry towards the sky.

The eerie howl echoed throughout the clearing and the forest beyond. I heard Kakashi clamp his hands over his ears to block out the noise that was already sending chills down his spin.

I choked off the call and smiled weakly at White Fang. That howl was the howl of loneliness; it was meant to make people shiver. The emotions wolf howls could convey amazed me even though I'd heard them many times before.

"It's too bad that he doesn't understand what it means," White Fang looked at me sadly as he spoke in wolf.

I nodded and stood. Pakkun probably could've figured out what it meant since wolf and dog dialects were similar but not exactly the same. There were different pitches that wolves could hit that dogs could not and I was thankful for that because then Kakashi might've been able to figure out what we were saying.

I glanced around the clearing; I had the sudden urge to play! I finally understood why White Fang acted like a cub from time to time. Part of the wolf's mentality _was_ just like a cub's; the need to play.

I looked at White Fang with suddenly excited eyes. In a second I'd leapt into the forest and picked up a giant branch that had fallen. I carried it back into the clearing and shook it; its leaves flew everywhere.

I lowered my front quarters to the ground so that my butt was up in the air. I wagged my tail as White Fang cocked his head, trying to make sense of my sudden mood swing. I gave the best wolf grin I could with the branch in my teeth, inviting him to play. I saw the wheels click in White Fang's head as he recognized the body language.

"Shouldn't _you_ be training?" White Fang frowned but his eyes stared longingly at the stick.

"I think_ we_ deserve a break," I wagged my tail as I put way too much emphasis on the word '_we_'.

White Fang let go of all seriousness and leapt at me. He grasped the opposite end of the branch in his teeth and we began to play tug-o-war. We circled each other, pulling the branch this way and that, trying to rip it away from the other. I tugged hard on my end and sunk my teeth even deeper into the bark. There was a shredding sound as the branch ripped in two. The force with which we had been pulling caused us to fly backwards. White Fang flew into the forest, destroying a few trees along the way as I was flung into the giant rock.

My back collided with the hard surface and knocked the breath out of me. I released the Jutsus that held White Fang and me in our current states. I gasped and coughed, trying desperately to suck in some air once I'd returned to my human form. My back hurt badly but I hadn't broken anything, luckily.

"Shouldn't you help her?!" Pakkun's frantic voice was a little too loud.

"She'll be fine," Kakashi said uncaringly.

I thought that was a little cold but it didn't matter; I had to get oxygen into my lungs. I succeeded in pulling in a ragged breath just as a normal sized White Fang dashed back into the clearing.

"Are you okay? We are never doing that again! It was stupid and reckless! We should've seen that coming!" White Fang spoke English once again and I stared at him with a shocked expression; he sounded like my father.

My father had told me the same thing when I'd practiced throwing shuriken for the first time and it had gone terribly awry. The shuriken had ended up leaving a long gash in my arm when it had rebounded off a tree. He had been the one encouraging me to start my ninja training early but fighting with weapons had turned out to be a little too dangerous for a two year old.

"What?" White Fang sighed in frustration as he plopped his butt on the ground.

I burst out laughing; I couldn't help it.

"Aw, come on, it was fun," I giggled, elbowing him in the chest.

"Get back to training," White Fang just shook his head.

I stood shakily and rested my hands on my knees as I tried to regulate my breathing. White Fang hopped back on the rock so that he had a better view of my drills.

"Wait, I still need you for the last Jutsu!" I called up to him.

"Forget it, you can do this one on your own," White Fang lay down in a huff.

"Too late," I smiled evilly as I finished the hand signs.

White Fang yelped in surprise as a veil of smoke swallowed him. I knew this last Jutsu would use a lot of chakra to hold. Transforming one's self into something else was fairly easy but transforming another's body into something new was quite difficult and unheard of.

The smoke cleared and I heard a stifled gasp escape from both Pakkun and Kakashi's lips. All three of us were entranced by the man clad in a soft yellow, long sleeved shirt and loose fitting, white pants. His sleek white hair ended at his shoulders but his bangs were not quite long enough to cover his piercing yellow eyes. The man looked older than me but his body was toned and muscular. The shirt that he wore was a V-neck so it showed off his muscular bare chest.

I couldn't take my eyes off of White Fang, he was beautiful. I mentally gave myself a pat on the back; he looked really good as a human.

I felt the sudden drain on my chakra and I fell backwards, landing on my butt. Maybe I'd over done it…

"Are you o-" White Fang tried to take a step towards me but tripped since he wasn't used to balancing on two legs.

He landed on his hands and knees and realized what I had done. He picked up a trembling hand and flipped it over curiously, then placed it back down. He started to shake violently and snapped his head up to glare at me with his yellow eyes.

"How are you even capable of doing this?!" White Fang snarled, showing me his canines that were still slightly larger than normal humans'.

I trembled, the ferocity in his eyes and voice was nothing like I'd ever experienced before.

"I-I just wanted to see if I could…" I looked away from his intense gaze. "Plus I thought maybe you'd be able to fight me in hand to hand combat," I talked to my knees.

Why was he so angry? Didn't he know that this was one of the most demanding Jutsus and that no one had ever been capable of performing it without killing themselves before?

"This is too dangerous! You could've killed yourself! Get me out of this body NOW! What a waste of chakra!" White Fang continued to yell.

"Waste?! Don't you see what I'm capable of?!" I was growing angry now and I leapt onto the rock. "I could create an army with this Jutsu. If we were ambushed then I-"

"No, look at me! If we were ambushed and you did this then both of us would be useless. I am not used to this body and your chakra would be zapped. An army of animals transformed into humans would just be a hindrance. You'd be killed that much sooner," White Fang's eyes lost their rage and his voice calmed as he explained.

I looked down at my feet once again. Being scolded by White Fang was like being scolded by my father.

"It's better if you don't ever use this Jutsu again. Please promise me you won't," White Fang's eyes pleaded with my one blue one.

My mother had said almost the exact same thing after I'd turned into a dragon for the first time…

I winced at the memory and White Fang knew that he'd hit a sore spot.

"I promise," I murmured to my shoes.

I looked at White Fang's eyes to find that they were apologetic. I made the hand sign for the Jutsu's release and White Fang morphed back into his wolf form behind a curtain of smoke.

"I think we should go home now, you're pretty well spent," White Fang suggested as he picked up my backpack with his teeth.

He leapt down from the rock and walked slowly in the direction of home. I sighed; there was no arguing with him and I really was exhausted. As we walked through the forest I listened for any sign of Kakashi and Pakkun, but they were long gone.

This was my last day to train before the ANBU Reinstatement Test. I'd worked harder and harder every day and I'd become even more impatient for the test with each passing hour. My strength had completely returned and all of my Jutsus were up to snuff; I could've been an ANBU the day I'd created the new Jutsus with White Fang.

I hadn't created any new Jutsus since then but today I had a few tricks up my sleeves for my spectators. Kakashi still thought that my senses had been scrambled by the fight with the Kyuubi. He, nor Pakkun, had ever showed themselves while I was training and it was really starting to tick me off. Just exactly what was the point of him coming if he didn't even care about me or what I was doing?

No matter, I was going to show Kakashi just how valuable an asset I could be to a team.

White Fang sat on the giant rock and watched me warm up with impatience. He was waiting for when I would commence the avalanche of Jutsus I'd created or remembered that had run in my clan.

It was during my Fire Jutsus that I decided to try out the one my mother had created.

"Fire Style, Fire Cell Jutsu!" my hand signs were quick and ended with the Tiger seal.

I forced my chakra up and out of my body so that it formed columns of flame. They flew forward and grasped at the air, trying to imprison an invisible enemy. The columns criss-crossed and formed a giant, round fire cell that floated in the air.

I smiled as it levitated in front of me. I had mastered a Jutsu that had taken my mother months to perfect. White Fang howled his approval from the rock and an idea flickered through my head. If I could roll the cell then maybe whoever it contained would be forced to talk a little faster.

I raised both of my hands and controlled my chakra so that it shot from my fingers, towards the ball. The ten strings clamped onto a bar of fire and I twisted my hands this way and that to make it move. The cell of fire danced before me and I pictured a Rock ninja squealing for mercy inside. White Fang somehow figured out what I was thinking and barked to bring my thoughts out of the past.

"That's kind of cruel to do to a prisoner," he whined as I continued to roll the ball of flame.

"I never said I was nice. Besides whoever ends up in here probably deserves it," I laughed manically and it even freaked me out.

I released the cell and the flames disappeared. I did have a bit of a morbid streak but that came from the dragon part of me.

"What's next?" White Fang called from the rock.

I looked at my right palm. I was planning on trying out my Rasengan but I wasn't sure what I could attack with it. I guess a tree would have to suffice.

"Rasengan!" I yelled and the chakra pooled into my hand immediately.

I ran towards the closest tree with my right hand held out before me. I blasted through it and its giant trunk collapsed into the clearing.

"Glad that still works!" White Fang called sarcastically.

"I'm not done with it yet," I shot back. "Rasengan!"

The chakra pooled into my hand once again. This time I wanted to add fire to its destructive power, but I wasn't sure how to do that. I guessed that the best way would be to blow a spurt of flame into the circulating chakra and hope that it didn't burn my hand.

"Fire Style, Fire Stream Jutsu," I circled my lips with the fingers on my free hand and directed the jet of flame towards the ball of chakra.

I watched, fascinated, as the fire mixed with the chakra and the Rasengan caught on fire. I punched through another tree with my right hand and I flew through it even easier than the first one. I watched as the charred trunk fell to the ground. The fire just helped the Rasengan eat away at any obstruction. This attack was twice as deadly.

I walked back to the clearing, grinning with pride. I was ready to face any enemy, but before that I had one more Jutsu to try out.

"Make sure you're hidden behind the rock for this next one White Fang!" he answered me with a bark and then hid on the far side of the rock so that my attack would not reach him.

The next Jutsu was my own creation; a hybrid would be the proper word for it. Wind and Fire Styles combined to make one fatal attack.

"Fire and Wind Hybrid Style, Flame Tornado Jutsu!" I cried and quickly made the twenty-five hand signs that made the Jutsu so complicated.

I spun around in a circle while blowing flame as I went. Once completed, I raised my hands above my head and the flames shot skyward so that they were as tall as the trees. I twirled around inside my circular wall of fire until I had a big draft of wind twisting and churning. The wind inside caused the flames to twist around me at top speed. I thrust both of my hands towards the twirling flames with my palms facing them. I forced chakra from my hands in the form of wind that forced the circle to widen. The flames twisted farther away from me as they continued their tornado like movement. Finally, they stretched out far enough to touch the giant rock and the trees on my side of the clearing. I let one last big gust of wind emerge and the massive tornado swelled and then disappeared.

White Fang hopped back onto the rock once the tornado was completely gone. He watched as I caught my breath on the only green patch of grass left on my side of the clearing.

I looked around me to see the damage I'd inflicted. The grass was burnt to a crisp around me and as far out as I'd made the tornado go. The trees that had been at the edge of the clearing were still smouldering and chunks of them lay strewn about on account of the wind that had picked them up.

All in all, any ninja standing within my Jutsu's reach would be dead or critically burnt and vulnerable; easy to finish off with one slice from a kunai knife. The only problem was what if I was out of kunai or any sharp objects that I could use to finish someone off with? I needed some sort of Jutsu that would allow me to stab enemies if need be.

My dragon teeth and talons were sharp enough but I didn't want to have to transform just to kill someone…

Teeth! That was it!

Whenever you performed a Fire Jutsu you had to force the chakra from your body and out of your mouth in order to create fire. The timing for transforming your chakra into flame had to be just right otherwise you would burn the inside of your mouth. If I could do that with part of my chakra and then condense the rest of it and morph it into dragon teeth at the same time I could have a fireball that would not only burn, but pierce too!

I smiled at my genius idea and then took a few minutes to think of the correct hand signs. I just had to take the Grand Fireball Jutsu's hand signs and add the dragon hand sign and some concentration and it should work.

"Fire Style, Dragon's Tooth Grand Fireball Missile!" I made the hand signs quickly and focused on pulling the chakra from my body.

It was odd, feeling the condensed chakra emerge from my lips as I blew out but at least the Jutsu seemed to be working.

The ball of flame grew before me as I continued to add more fire and teeth to it. Finally, I forced air from my mouth that sent the ball of flame into the trees in front of me. I covered my face with my hands as the ball exploded and pieces of wood flew everywhere.

I opened my left eye first to make sure it was safe and then my right even though its vision was obscured by my bangs.

The trees that the fireball had hit directly were disintegrated by the flames. All the nearby trees were charred and pierced with hundreds of teeth, deeply embedded in their bark. There was no way a human could ever survive my attack.

I was beyond satisfied with my Jutsu. I turned around to look up at White Fang who glanced at me and then at the destroyed area in awe.

"And that's why they call me the Tatsue!" I crowed proudly, jabbing my thumb into my chest.

Suddenly, my right eye throbbed and I clasped my hand over it. After a couple seconds the pain disappeared and I blinked furiously to make sure that it wouldn't return. I brushed my bangs behind my ear and glanced around the clearing; what had caused the pain? As I looked around everything seemed clearer and I glanced up at White Fang.

"You have three tomoes now!" White Fang grinned and wagged his tail and I smiled back and then moved my bangs back in front of my face.

His expression changed suddenly as one of his ears swivelled in the direction of Kakashi and Pakkun's hideout. I quickly made the hand signs for my Wolf Senses Jutsu.

"That was an impressive display of Jutsus," Pakkun muttered. "You pale in comparison."

"Humph, not yet. However, Reicheru is stronger than she's ever been," Kakashi praised me but he sounded hesitant.

"What are you thinking?" Pakkun asked.

"We'd make an awesome team but how am I supposed to trust her? She has so many secrets and she won't explain anything about her past or her dragon form," Kakashi sighed, his curiosity was beginning to get the better of him.

"Well, she'll tell you eventually," Pakkun said reassuringly.

"I bet you she doesn't. There's something different about her anyway," Kakashi's voice returned to its bored tone as I heard him return to reading his book once again. "I think I should just withdraw from being put on her team. Maybe-" Kakashi froze as a kunai embedded itself in his book.

I yanked on the string I'd attached to the knife and pulled the book out of Kakashi's reach. The two of them didn't move a muscle as I rewound the string and the book and kunai bounced towards me through the grass.

I bent down to pick up the green book and dislodged the knife from inside it. The kunai had left a giant hole through the middle of the novel rendering part of it illegible. I flipped the book open and tried to figure out what was so appealing to Kakashi.

I blushed after reading a couple of sentences in the middle of the novel. I looked up at the spot where Kakashi and Pakkun were still hiding.

"Did you honestly think that I couldn't sense you?" I asked the trees.

Kakashi didn't make any movements, hoping that I would think he'd left. I glanced down at the book that contained unspeakable things.

"You pervert! Are you so afraid of letting people into your life that you've turned to books like this?!" I called up to him.

I loved him, why couldn't he see that? He was pushing his only friend farther and farther away from him. I wanted to be more to him and help him with the pain he felt over Rin and Obito's deaths but I couldn't do that if he kept on hating me.

"Are you so afraid of letting someone love you because you're afraid of losing them, or have you hardened your heart so much that you don't care?" I looked away from the eyes that I knew were watching me.

I was being a little hypocritical. Who was the one that wouldn't allow herself to cry because it hurt too much? You only cried when you had a deep bond with someone and even though I frowned upon crying, I wanted a relationship with Kakashi.

I shook my head at my stupidity and turned towards White Fang who had walked up behind me.

"Can I have my book back?" Kakashi asked quietly from behind my back.

I turned around slowly; I hadn't even heard him approach.

Kakashi wore his ANBU uniform but hadn't bothered wearing his animal mask. Only his headband and black mask hid his face today. Kakashi's right hand was extended towards me and there was a kind and polite look to his one visible eye.

"Why'd you come here?" I asked, tearing my eye away from his.

His words from earlier still rung in my ears. He didn't want to be on my team because he didn't trust me. He thought I was different; he didn't like me at all. Then why had he come if he didn't care?

"Well I-" Kakashi stopped and rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"You _were_ copying my Jutsus weren't you?!" I was shocked and angry; I hadn't thought that he was capable of doing something so low.

"Now hold on-" Kakashi held up his hands, trying to explain.

I stuffed his wretched book in my equipment holster and sent my right fist towards his jaw. Kakashi caught it just in time and I growled. We were still equally matched even after all these years and I realized that a fight would be useless.

"What's your excuse for watching me then?" I snarled through clenched teeth.

"I… I was just making sure that you didn't hurt yourself," Kakashi's eye gave it away.

"Liar!" I hissed and swung my other fist at his gut but he caught that one too.

His eye searched mine for something that I couldn't quite figure out. I stopped trying to fight him but he still kept a strong hold on my hands.

"Why do care so much whether or not I let anyone into my life?" Kakashi's visible eyebrow rose.

I hung my head so that he wouldn't see my blush as I thought of an answer.

"… Because it sucks to be alone and there's always someone out there who's willing to love you," I kept looking at my feet as my face became really warm.

"Someone?" Kakashi asked quizzically.

"Yeah, you know, because this is a big village and there's got to be someone here who cares about you!" I grew angry as he didn't seem to get the hint.

I pulled away from him and turned and crossed my arms in a huff. I realized that that seemed kind of childish and I dropped my arms to my sides in defeat. It was a constant war raging inside of me: should I let Kakashi know that I liked him or not? Obviously, he didn't like me if he hadn't caught on earlier and there was something about how he'd acted in the hospital that bothered me…

"Why did you always wear your mask when you came to visit me in the hospital? It's not like there were any enemies in that room," I asked quietly and Kakashi sucked in a deep breath and hesitated.

This was something he'd hoped that I wouldn't bring up.

"You sort of are my enemy…" Kakashi finally admitted.

I whirled around, surprised, and my hair floated about me, giving Kakashi a glimpse of my Sharingan eye. His eye hardened and I realized that that was another one of his questions that I hadn't completely answered, and he knew it.

"Let me explain before you bite my head off," Kakashi held up his hands in defence again. "You're like an enemy to me because I don't know you anymore. You hide things from me and then you show off these extraordinary powers that you're not too intent on sharing."

I didn't know what he meant exactly by not sharing my power; whether he wanted me to teach him my Jutsu or if he wanted me to tell him how I got it. He still didn't know that the Transformation Jutsu was a Kekkei Genkai.

"I hid my face from you because as soon as I saw you lying in the hospital bed, defenceless and weak, I felt awful. I couldn't do anything for you and I hadn't been there to help you during your fight with the Kyuubi. I'd let my comrade, a person that means more to me than anything, down. It tormented me to see someone so powerful, lifeless and I was powerless to do anything to help. Then when you woke up and made some comment I grew angry with you because you wouldn't tell me anything and that's why I never stayed long when I visited," Kakashi paused and I waited patiently for him to continue. "Then I would grow frustrated with myself because I was being a terrible friend. I hated not seeing you everyday and once the guilt I felt became unbearable, I'd go and visit you again. But, upon seeing you again my emotions formed a vicious circle and I would leave," Kakashi paused again and I realized that White Fang and Pakkun were sitting on either side of me.

"So you hid your face from me because…?" I tried to piece together the information Kakashi had just thrown at me, it was hard to take it all in at once.

"I didn't want you to see how much I loved and hated you at the same time. Emotions just get in the way…" Kakashi dropped his gaze.

"If you don't show emotions then you aren't technically human," I said quietly. "Wait, did you say that you loved me?" my tone brightened considerably.

"Yeah, but it's alright if you don't like me, I understand," Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck absentmindedly as his voice became gloomy.

My heart jumped for joy and I couldn't stop the idiotic grin from spreading across my face. It was like my feet had a mind of their own; before I knew what I was doing; I'd leapt at Kakashi and flung my arms around his neck.

"I love you too!" I'd waited so long to say those words.

He hadn't been expecting this much of a reaction from me and he had to take a few steps back in order to catch his balance. I glanced up to look into his one visible eye which contained an astonished look. I blushed as what I'd done registered in my brain.

"Sorry," I murmured to him.

"Don't be," Kakashi chuckled and kissed my forehead through his mask.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me tightly, resting his chin on top of my head. I sighed contented, and Kakashi kissed the top of my head before holding me at arms length. I frowned as a serious look entered his right eye.

"Just because I love you doesn't mean that I forgive you for lying to me. You still have some explaining to do," I became horror stricken as I realized what he wanted.

Why did happiness have to come with strings attached?

I shied away from him, hugging myself and tearing my eye away from his.

"I can't tell you," I winced and waited for him to start shouting at me.

I felt a hand on my shoulder as another was tucked under my chin, forcing me to turn around and look up.

"Do you at least promise to tell me, sometime?" Kakashi's kind and gentle expression surprised me.

"Yes," I lied, I wouldn't tell him unless I absolutely had to.

Kakashi nodded and his eye smiled at me. He pulled me close and squeezed me tightly. I felt so safe imprisoned there, I never wanted to leave but of course our loyal canines had to ruin the moment.

"Ahem?" White Fang coughed.

I pulled away to look at the wolf but Kakashi kept his right arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him so that our hips touched.

"It's nice to finally see you two together but Reicheru does have work to do," White Fang reminded me and Pakkun nodded in agreement.

"I'm ready for the stupid test," I shook my head, why did White Fang have so little faith in me at times?

"No, he's right, you should train some more." Kakashi said quietly and I growled at him.

I saw Kakashi's lips flicker into a smile under his mask.

"You can practice hand to hand combat with me. That'll make it more interesting," Kakashi chuckled and pulled away from me. "By the way, I got my book back," he waved the green novel in front of my face.

I hissed and tried to swipe it back but he danced just out of reach, chuckling. I hadn't even felt him reach into my equipment holster. Kakashi tucked the book back in his own holster and I chased after him. We leapt back and forth blocking each other's punches and kicks until the sun set.

The next day White Fang and I woke a little later than usual and made our way leisurely to the clearing for my test. I didn't know whether or not I was allowed to use White Fang during the test but I though that it couldn't hurt to bring him along.

We padded slowly through the forest on the way to the clearing. The sky was bright and blue and the sun cast strange shadows on my face as it bounced off the trees' canopy.

A few feet before we entered the clearing I donned my ANBU mask and double checked that my Ninjaken was securely fastened to my grey top. I stepped into the sun and its rays glinted off the armour I'd polished the night before.

The Third Hokage and four other ANBU members stood on the giant rock in the middle of the clearing. I recognized Kakashi's grey hair as it waved in the wind but I had no idea who the others were. I smiled but of course Kakashi wasn't able to tell that I was happy to see him. His posture was tense but it relaxed when I came into view.

"Welcome Tatsue, are you prepared for your Reinstatement Test?" the Hokage smiled kindly as I approached the rock.

"Of course, Hokage-sama," I bowed my head to be polite.

"Alright then, these four gentlemen have offered to help assist with your exam. They will each create twenty-five Shadow Clones that you are to annihilate using all of your techniques. Anything goes and depending on how well you've mastered your techniques and how severe your injuries are, will decided if you become a full fledged ANBU," the Hokage explained and raised his hand.

I bowed, accepting his terms. I straightened and looked towards Kakashi. I knew he'd love to go easy on me but luckily, he wasn't allowed. I readied my stance and extracted a kunai knife, White Fang by my side.

"Begin!" the Hokage lowered his hand like a flag and the four ANBU created the same hand signs and yelled in unison.

One hundred clones surrounded me once the cloud of smoke disappeared. A sudden wave of pain radiated through me as something about the situation seemed familiar…

I gasped suddenly as I remembered.

_I stood up slowly and glanced around me. There were about one hundred Rock ninja encircling me and my squad. The leader ninja was laughing at the stupidity of my comrade who lay near death by my feet._

Yuki…

I remained unmoving and stared at Kakashi even though I wasn't really seeing him.

I was grossly outnumbered, just like before. There was no way I could protect everyone I loved from every single ninja.

"Yuki…" I murmured absentmindedly, still lost in my memories.

A sharp pain shot through my calf and I was brought back to reality.

I leapt away from whatever had injured me just in time to dodge a few kunai that had been tossed at my head. I glanced down at my leg that was oozing blood from a couple of little holes. I looked over at White Fang and realized that he'd bitten me in order to get my head out of the clouds.

I covered my injury with my right arm and focused my chakra into the wounds in order to heal them. I straightened and looked down at White Fang.

"The Hokage said anything goes. You ready White Fang?" I smiled wickedly as I placed my hands together.

A bark answered my question and I made the hand signs with lightning speed.

"Ookami Expansion Jutsu! Wolf Senses Jutsu!" I made the two different sets of hand signs simultaneously.

My senses intensified quicker than the smoke cleared from around the giant wolf. White Fang growled menacingly and watched my back as I waited for the clones to attack.

They eventually did and White Fang and I sprung into action. The wolf swiped and bit at any clone that was stupid enough to come within reach of him and they disappeared in a poof of smoke. I threw the kunai I'd been holding at an ANBU clone and hit him square in the stomach. I unsheathed my sword and preformed a couple of dances I knew to kill off a few dozen ninja.

Twenty minutes late, White Fang and I had destroyed all of the clones. I hadn't really used much chakra since I'd mostly used Taijutsu. However, something didn't feel right… Throughout the whole battle I didn't recall stabbing a single Kakashi clone.

"Bring 'em out Kakashi. I know they're hiding in the trees," I smiled as my senses tipped me off.

I heard a heavy sigh and twenty–five Kakashi clones leapt at me from the forest. I made a few hand signs and slunk into the ground.

"Earth Style, Inner Decapitation Jutsu!" I was successful in pulling a couple of clones into the ground before the others figured out what I was doing.

I emerged from the ground and was immediately attacked by Kakashi. I swung my sword around in time and sliced him down the side. It made me nauseous to see Kakashi's pained expression but I reminded myself that he was only a clone and continued with my fight.

I turned to see a handful of clones heading towards me, swords drawn. I combined my Grand Fireball Technique with the Dragon Tooth Jutsu and burned/pierced them all.

The sound of something flying through the air made me swivel on my feet to face it. A Kakashi clone had taken advantage of my distraction to leap at me from behind. He held his Ninjaken in his hands and I tried to pull mine up in time to block his blow. Something white shot out towards my attacker and knocked him to the ground where he disappeared. I realized that it had been White Fang's tail that had saved me. I smiled up at the wolf who gave me a wolf grin in return before turning to claw at a couple more silver haired ANBU.

Movement caught the corner of my eye as another Kakashi ran at me. I dashed towards him and held my right hand away from my side.

"Dragon Tooth Rasengan!" I cried and I forced my chakra ball to mix with the harder chakra that sharpened and turned white when I spat it out.

I thrust my hand into the clone's gut and watched as the ball tore away at his skin and pierced him with the sharp teeth. I felt guilty as he screamed in pain before disappearing, but I glanced over my shoulder to double check that the real Kakashi was out of harm's way.

White Fang's triumphant howl told me that he had finished off the last few clones.

"Kai!" I said and White Fang shrunk back to his normal size and I lost my advanced senses.

I jogged back to the rock where the Hokage and ANBU were standing. None of the ANBU were really drained but they took deeper breaths than usual because of the chakra they'd used. I breathed out heavily as well but only because I'd used attacks that demanded more chakra than a simple Shadow Clone Jutsu.

"Well done Tatsue! You definitely have improved since you were last an ANBU, which means you only deserve the post more. You and Kakashi will make a great team for our more demanding missions. You're all dismissed," the Hokage smiled as the three ANBU transported themselves elsewhere.

Kakashi gave me the thumbs up just before the Hokage whispered something in his ear. The Third chuckled and then he too disappeared.

I leapt onto the rock and then into Kakashi's arms. He clamped his shut around me and I removed both of our ANBU masks before smothering his masked lips with kisses. He chuckled and then hugged me tightly against his chest.

"What did the Hokage say?" I asked, looking up at his one visible eye.

"Just that you were special and that I should protect and trust you no matter what," Kakashi's tone was slightly confused but he tried to hide it by distracting me with his smiling eye.

"That's true," I said grinning.

Kakashi chuckled and removed his headband with one hand. I stared at his Sharingan eye as he revealed it and I realized that he had three tomoes too.

"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to avoid the cloth as he attempted to tie it around my head.

"Just hold still," he said in a jokingly frustrated tone.

I sighed and waited. Kakashi tightened the headband's extremities around my head and then pushed it down so that it covered my eyes.

"Hey I can't-" I was cut off as I felt lips touch mine.

These lips were bare, no mask covered them like usual.

"Kakashi, can't I just-" I tried to pry the band away from my eyes.

"No, keep it down," Kakashi chuckled.

I sighed in frustration but it turned into a sigh of contentment as he began to kiss me again. His lips moulded with mine and they conveyed all the love he felt for me.

"Gross, if you two are going to be this romantic then I'm going home," I didn't respond as I heard White Fang pad off into the trees.

"I'm going to hear about this later," I said when we'd broken apart for air and I adjusted my arms around Kakashi's neck.

"Well, that's later," Kakashi chuckled and then kissed me again.


	10. Chapter 9

naruto characters belong to masashi kishimoto while the rest are mine

* * *

Chapter IX: Kakashi's Kidnapper

Chapter IX: Kakashi's Kidnapper

**(One year later)**

"Take this!" Kakashi yelled as he punched the bandit in the face.

"Fire Style, Fire Cell Jutsu!" I made the hand signs quickly and the fire columns wrapped around the crook.

"Well done," Kakashi praised me and I knew he was smiling beneath his ANBU mask.

"Let's get him back to the Bird Country's main village. What did he steal again?" I asked; the mission had been assigned hastily and I hadn't thought that it was even worth sending ANBU members on.

"A bird that's song has destructive powers. Pakkun's gone to get it from wherever he stashed it," Kakashi shrugged.

We were both of the same opinion; this mission wasn't worth our time. Kakashi and I were the highest ranked ANBU and therefore cost a lot of money to hire. This mission could've been assigned to Genin but I guessed that the Bird Country had enough money to spare to make sure that this job was done right.

"Pakkun will catch up with us later so we can start heading back to Bird Village," Kakashi informed me as he listened to a howl from far away.

"Alright then," I sighed and attached chakra strings to the flaming cell.

The next day we arrived at the village and took our prisoner to the Feudal Lord's castle. Our captive looked a little green and I smirked.

"Did you have to roll that cage here?" Kakashi asked as he eyed the man that was about to be sick.

"Well it uses less chakra than making it float. Besides, he deserved it," I giggled quietly.

Kakashi sighed as the Feudal Lord emerged from his castle, flanked by guards.

"Have you captured the thief?" the Lord asked eyeing the giant ball of flame.

"Yes sir!" Kakashi and I bowed slightly.

"And the bird?" the Lord eyed our empty hands.

Pakkun ran out from behind Kakashi with a tiny bird cage in his mouth. The lime green canary didn't make a sound as Pakkun hopped up the steps and placed the cage at the Lord's feet. Then Pakkun disappeared in a cloud of smoke as he returned home. The Lord grinned and picked up the cage.

"Well done ANBU. Just drop the criminal and my guards will escort him to the prison," the Feudal Lord instructed.

I released my Jutsu and let the man fall to the ground. He landed on his face and ended up with a mouthful of dirt. I tried really hard not to laugh as he struggled to stand but was so nauseated that he fell back down. The armour clad guards grabbed his arms and dragged him out of sight.

"That was cruel," Kakashi whispered in my ear and I shrugged.

"Here's the payment for your task. Thank you very much," The Feudal Lord handed a wad of cash to one of his guards who then walked down the steps and handed it to Kakashi.

Kakashi put it in his equipment holster and then we bowed and thanked the Lord before dashing out of the city limits.

To get back to Konoha we would have to travel through Grass and Rain Country. Rain Country was no problem but I wasn't looking forward to entering Grass Country's territory.

I glanced over at Kakashi as we bounded through the trees. I couldn't tell what he was thinking since his ANBU mask covered his face but he seemed content with the job we'd just accomplished and the sum earned.

We'd been together for just about a year now and he seemed to be way happier than before. He still went weekly to visit the Memorial Stone and I let him go without any fuss. I knew that he still blamed himself for Rin and Obito's deaths and he didn't like to talk about it. I still felt guilty about my team mates' deaths as well but I tried not to show it. I just made sure that I hugged and kissed Kakashi a lot so that he knew that I loved him no matter what. However, it ticked me off that he never let me see his face without his mask when he kissed me. Oh well, he grew equally frustrated with me from time to time since I still refused to tell him anything about my past. Part of me wanted to tell him but I was afraid that if I did he would get scared of me and leave.

I sighed and Kakashi looked over at me.

"You okay?" he asked kindly.

"Yeah, just a little tired. It's almost dark, can we set up camp?" even beneath Kakashi's mask I could tell that he was frowning.

He nodded but I knew that he didn't want to stop. Kakashi wanted to continue traveling until we reached Konoha and then we could take a few days off and rest.

Kakashi was barely exhausted but I on the other hand had used more chakra than him. Using newer techniques was a little more draining than older Jutsus since I hadn't gotten used to how much they demanded of me yet.

I dropped into the nearest clearing and waited for Kakashi to land beside me. He didn't and I scanned the trees for him.

He was perched on a low branch watching me. He removed his mask and I did the same. I realized that Kakashi hadn't brought his headband on the mission since he had thought he would be using his Sharingan. He closed his left eye so that only his grey one stared at me protectively.

"So I guess you're taking the first watch," I noted as he sat himself down on the branch.

"Obviously, since you're so tired," Kakashi teased me.

"Just wake me when you get tired so that I can take a turn on watch," I said as I pulled a blanket out of the backpack I'd been carrying.

Kakashi didn't respond as I walked over to the nearest tree, sat down and rested my back against it. I pulled the blanket over me and closed my eyes.

"Goodnight," I whispered, hoping it was loud enough for him to hear.

"Goodnight," he chuckled quietly as I started to drift off to sleep.

I woke after a few minutes, I was not comfortable and something was making a racket in the trees.

"Summoning Jutsu, Pakkun," I heard Kakashi whisper a few minutes later.

"What is it," I heard Pakkun's gruff voice ask.

"Nothing… I was just hoping that you could help me keep watch," Kakashi admitted.

"Why? There's no immediate danger," Pakkun complained.

"The Hokage said to protect her no matter what and I just want to make sure that I do," Kakashi said quietly.

"Fair enough," Pakkun said after a few minutes and then I fell into a dreamless sleep.

We arrived at the Entrance Gates to Konoha two days later.

We hadn't run into any problems in the Grass Country as I knew we wouldn't but I'd been paranoid and Kakashi had sensed my tension. He hadn't said anything but I knew he'd been frustrated because he had a hunch that Grass Country had something to do with my past.

We walked to the Hokage's office to make an official report. We knocked and walked to the centre of the room and bowed.

"How did the mission go?" the Hokage assessed our unharmed bodies.

"Fine," Kakashi said as he pulled the money out of his pocket and laid it on the Hokage's desk.

"Well done. We'll notify you if another difficult mission comes up," the Hokage smiled as he puffed his pipe.

He flipped through the wad of money and split it into three piles. The Third handed one pile to each of us and kept the third for himself and the village. The two of us bowed again and walked out of the room, out of the building and out onto the streets.

I watched Kakashi from under my mask as we walked in silence to the clearing with the giant rock. I noticed that he'd begun to twitch but he kept his composure until we stood on top of the stone.

3… 2… 1…

"What was that?! That was the dumbest mission to have to send ANBU on! Genin could've taken down that dope but_ no_ they have to send ANBU, and _us_ of all people! I thought we were only supposed to go on A and S-ranked missions!" I watched, amused as Kakashi began his rant.

"Well, Bird Country did classify it as an S-ranked mission," I shrugged. "Maybe we underestimated the power that bird holds."

"No, I took a look at it with my Sharingan. It's nothing special until someone with the proper chakra and technique makes it sing a certain song that unleashes destructive powers. They might as well of just sent one of us on the mission even though that defeats the whole purpose of us being on the same team," Kakashi removed his mask and his eyes danced angrily before he closed his left one to hide his Sharingan from view.

I didn't relish the idea of going on an S-ranked mission without Kakashi. Even though I could take care of myself, I felt better having him around.

I laughed and removed my red marked ANBU mask as well.

"I always love it when you start ranting about our missions; it's so amusing," Kakashi scowled at me and I giggled.

"Well, if they didn't give us such dumb missions then I wouldn't have to complain," Kakashi crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air like a little kid.

"We haven't been on any missions for a couple of months now and even then they've all been easy. The war's over, it's not like there are any evil genius attacking at the moment," I said as I reflected on our past missions.

"I guess you're right," Kakashi sighed and took a step towards me.

He slid his arms around my waist and kissed the top of my head like he usually did. I smiled and buried my face in his chest. We stood there for what seemed like a lifetime and I was aware of the sun beginning to set.

"I should be getting home," I pulled away from his embrace unwillingly.

Kakashi frowned and then nodded knowingly.

"Yeah, you're wolf will be getting worried," Kakashi said quietly.

He leaned down and kissed me on the lips but kept his mask on. I frowned but his eye just smiled at me, happy to return the frustration he felt more often towards me because of my secrets.

I waved goodbye and leapt into the trees, bounding from branch to branch until I arrived at my house. I opened the front door to find White Fang sitting there, patiently awaiting my return. I unpacked my backpack and gave the attentive wolf a recount of my mission. I went to bed early and fell asleep gazing out my window.

**CRASH **

I sat bolt upright as I heard something shatter. Something sharp cut my cheeks and I flung my arms over my head instinctively but they too were sliced. The tinkling of glass stopped and I opened my eyes.

"What happened?!" White Fang demanded as he ran into my bedroom. "I was in the kitchen and then I heard something break," the wolf hopped onto my bed.

"I don't know…" I muttered as I looked at my arms that now had a whole bunch of fresh cuts on them.

I watched my blood trickle out of the gashes and glanced up at the window. It was just beginning to get light outside and a slight breeze blew into my room through its shattered glass.

I healed my cuts quickly and proceeded to carefully fold up my quilt that was covered with sharp glass fragments. I left it at the foot of my bed and slung my feet over the right side of my mattress.

"Careful, there's some glass on the floor," White Fang cautioned.

"Is that a rock?" I pointed to a round object the size of my fist that lay on the carpet.

"I'll get it," White Fang said as he hopped onto the carpet that concealed pieces of glass.

"Careful!" I warned.

"My pads are so tough that glass can't cut them," he assured me.

White Fang delicately picked the rock in his jaws and then leapt back onto my bed. I held my hands open and he deposited the stone into them.

"I think there's a note inside it," White Fang said as he nosed the rock over.

A small kanji symbol reading '_Seal_' was visible.

"Kai!" I said and the kanji disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

A small compartment opened and I saw that there was a piece of paper inside. My fingers trembled as I pulled out the note; it couldn't be good. I unfolded it carefully as White Fang stared at it intently. I read the couple of scribbled sentences as quickly as possible.

"'_I know your secret Tatsue. Meet me in the clearing by the river one hundred miles from the village entrance. Make sure you're alone or your precious Kakashi will die,_'" I gaped in horror at the letter and then at White Fang.

"This enemy must be strong if he's captured Kakashi," White Fang stated.

I reread the note a few times, not even bothering to acknowledge the wolf.

Not Kakashi! How was it even possible that someone had caught him? Maybe it was a bluff, I'd check in at his house before heading out to the clearing.

I leapt over the glass and onto the floor by my dresser. Within a minute I'd pulled on my black ANBU pants, form fitting shirt and black gloves. I wasn't thinking and put neither my grey shirt nor my armour on. I grabbed my Ninjaken and dashed out of the room, forgetting my mask. White Fang was at my heels as we ran from the house and into the streets.

Kakashi's apartment was a read and yellow building in a residential area near the centre of town. We reached it in a matter of minutes.

I walked up to the door with weighted legs, afraid of what I might see. I knocked and let a few minutes pass… No one answered. I knocked again, louder this time and called out his name… Still no one came.

I stepped back and kicked the door down. The wood splintered and made loud cracking sounds. I pushed past the debris and found myself in his foyer.

It was extremely dark and I felt along the wall for the light switch. I found it and was blinded by the bright light once I'd flicked it on. There were stairs a few feet in front of me that led to Kakashi's bedroom, but I didn't bother going up there. The state of his living room and kitchen was enough information for me.

I meandered through the house which lay in shambles. The furniture was knocked over and various objects lay in pieces on the floor. I stepped on something and heard the crunch of glass. I looked down to see the smashed frame of a picture of Kakashi and his squad. Kakashi was the only one who wasn't smiling in the picture. Rin and Obito didn't seem to have a care in the world while the young Kakashi's face was the emotionless glare that it used to be and still sometimes was.

"There was definitely a scramble in here. There's two scents, Kakashi's and one that I don't recognize," White Fang informed me as he sniffed around the room.

"Let's go," I clenched my fists in anger. "Kakashi's in danger," I turned towards the exit.

"How do we know that it's not a trap?" White Fang trotted next to me as we made our way through the village.

"We don't, but if it is, I want you to stay behind me and if I get caught, run for help," I instructed him.

"What will you do if you're captured? We don't know what this guy wants… He could kill you!" White Fang's eyes radiated anxiety.

"I'll be fine," I assured him but inside I wasn't so sure.

We picked up speed as we passed through the village's entrance. It was a little awkward to run so fast with a sword in my hand and I regretted not wearing my grey shirt so that I could simply attach the blade to my back.

"His scent's getting stronger," White Fang said as he sniffed the air.

"Wolf Senses Jutsu," I made the hand signs and familiarized myself with Kakashi's captor.

We ran a few more miles in the dark forest but after awhile my eyes saw that the trees were beginning to thin.

"Stop," I held out my hand and White Fang halted just before he hit it. "I'll go on alone from here. If you see something that makes you believe I can't win, run for help. If I can save Kakashi then maybe the two of us can kill this creep," I kept my voice low as I searched for any sign of movement in the clearing.

White Fang growled his discontentment and I patted his head and smiled reassuringly. I took a deep breath and pushed my way through the forest.

I peeked out from behind a bush at the edge of the clearing. No one was there but I sensed a presence hiding in the trees on the opposite side. I held my sword in front of me as I stepped around the bush and into the clearing. The river gurgled happily beside me and I scanned the trees for the pair of eyes that I felt were watching me.

"Hello Tatsue," an eerie voice called from the trees.

I tensed as the figure landed in a heap in front of me. He stood and his black cloak fluttered around him. A triangular straw hat kept his face hidden in shadows.

"What have you done with Kakashi?" I hissed angrily.

I couldn't sense any other presence in the vicinity except for our own. It would be a one on one battle if I couldn't find Kakashi.

"You mean the silver haired boy? He's around somewhere," the man laughed coldly at some joke that he didn't feel like sharing.

One of my Shadow Clones appeared out of nowhere and took a swing at the figure. Its fist missed but was successful in knocking off the man's hat instead. He cart wheeled away from the clone and flung a kunai at it which destroyed it instantly.

His purple hair was long and held together in four loose ponytails at the back of his head. His eyes were a dark purple that glared at me menacingly. He straightened his posture and I recognized his headband as the one that they distributed in the Grass Country. I glared suspiciously at him as he smirked.

"Who are you?" I asked quietly, still keeping my sword in front of me defensively.

"They call me Midori, the Tatsu Satsugaisha," the man chuckled and I glared.

His title meant Dragon Slayer. My mother had warned me about a certain clan in the Land of Grass that had devoted themselves to killing off the Tatsuha clan. Their clan had been the ones that had discovered the Tatsushi flower and used it in the destruction of my family. However, their clan had been destroyed with mine, or at least that was what I'd been led to believe.

"Yeah, and what's that got to do with me?" I straightened and smirked.

Maybe I could fool Midori into believing that I wasn't a dragon.

"Don't play dumb with me! I know exactly who you are!" Midori clenched his fists in frustration.

He was easily angered and my smirk grew. If I could get him so angry that he acted rashly, then I could beat him.

"Prove it!" I challenged him, smiling.

"Ugh, I wouldn't go through all the trouble of capturing your partner just to bring you here and find out that you aren't a dragon. I know what you are. Our clans have fought for years," Midori smiled, showing ghostly white teeth.

"Well, I'm sorry that you went through all that trouble but you have the wrong person. Besides, I just figured out that you haven't captured Kakashi," I shrugged and chuckled as Midori's face turned red.

"How'd you know?" Midori trembled as he clenched his fists together.

"Well, Kakashi's apartment was just ransacked. If he'd actually fought in it there would definitely be blood splattered about. Plus, Kakashi would've totally kicked your ass!" I laughed as I thought about how hasty I'd been before that had caused me to miss all of those clues.

"So what? I still have you here," Midori laughed maniacally as he reached a hand inside his cloak.

I brought my sword back in front of my face. He pulled out a small staff, the length of his arm and pushed a small button. A sharp blade popped out of either end of the weapon.

"I know that fighting you will definitely tell me if you're a dragon or not," his smile was frightening as he rushed at me, spinning his staff.

I leapt out of the way just in time to avoid the blades and slashed Midori across the back with my sword. The cut was shallow but Midori's scream sounded as if I'd just stabbed him through the heart.

He wasn't very good if he was supposedly strong enough to kill a dragon.

Midori whirled around and whipped some needles at me. They narrowly missed as I back flipped away from him. I flung a couple of my own kunai at him as I did so but he dodged them easily.

"Grass Snake Jutsu!" I watched as Midori made a volley of hand signs that I'd never seen before.

I wished that I'd been able to let my Sharingan copy the Jutsu but I had to move quickly as the grass came alive. Certain blades enlarged and grew snake heads. Their tongues whipped out at me as they began to strike. I dodged all of their fangs but was caught off guard as Midori came at me from above.

I swung my sword around and was able to successfully decapitate a couple of snakes and send Midori flying away from me at the same time. I leapt into a tree and took a moment to catch my breath. The snakes were unable to follow me as I had predicted. The Jutsu was used for close range battle and they couldn't grow big enough to reach me.

"Fire Style, Grand Fireball Technique!" I made my hand signs and blew the giant flame so that it covered most of the clearing.

Midori was caught inside it and I waited a few minutes before stopping the Jutsu. A giant sphere of water stood in the middle of the charred grass that no longer slithered. Midori let his water defence fall and he smiled up at me.

"The Tatsuha clan is famed for their skills with Fire Jutsu. So far, you are proving me right," Midori informed me and I hissed.

"Fire and Wind Hybrid Style, Flame Tornado Jutsu!" I made the hand signs and made the tornado appear in front of me instead of around me.

I directed the flame cyclone towards the Grass ninja and my attack hit him straight on and caught him up in the swirling mass. The smell of burning flesh and hair was overpowering and I stopped the Jutsu as soon as Midori's screams became unbearable. I regarded the burned man with distaste as he looked up at me with his fearsome purple eyes.

"You let your guard down," he chuckled and I stared back at him, horrified.

I tried to turn around but it was too late. A clone had hidden inside the tree I was on. I leaned to the side as quickly as possible but his staff made a long gash on the side of my rib cage.

I clutched my side and leapt from the tree. I brought my sword down on the real Mirdori's head but he blocked it just it time with his staff. My sword had hit a weak point though and the wood snapped. My sword continued on its down swing, slightly off course and embedded itself in Midori's shoulder. He yelped in pain as the metal contacted with bone.

I pulled my sword from his flesh and spun away from him. The clone Midori flew at me and I whirled around and ran him through the stomach. He disappeared in a puff of smoke and I brought my Ninjaken in front of my face and waited for the real Midori's attack. He didn't move and I quickly brushed my bangs behind my ear. My Sharingan immediately let me see his chakra flow and analyze his movements.

"I see I'm going to have to take this up a notch," Midori murmured as he put his good arm in his cloak.

I watched cautiously as he removed a vial of purple liquid. I stared at it curiously and watched as he dabbed a little on the two separate blades of his destroyed weapon. He attached the vial to his belt and stuck a few needles in it. My eyes widened as I realized what it was. I took a couple of involuntary steps backwards.

"So you do recognize it… And you said you weren't a dragon," Midori smirked but grimaced as he moved his injured shoulder.

I realized now that I'd given away what little of my bluff I'd had. Now I had to be extremely careful; one touch from his poison covered weapons and I was done for.

Midori gripped a part of his staff in each hand and then rushed towards me.

"Rasengan!" I whirled the chakra in my hands and flung it towards his weapons.

They exploded as soon as they contacted with each other and I danced away from it.

Midori charged at me again, somehow unscathed from my attack and we began a round of Taijutsu. We blocked each other's punches with a little difficulty. It was slightly harder to fight when I had to hold my sword with one hand and punch with the other. Even with my Sharingan I was only ahead of him by a fraction of a second. I had no idea how he was keeping up. His injured arm didn't even seem to be causing him pain anymore.

I decided to hurt the same wound again and I dug my sword into his shoulder. He faltered as blood spurted out and I punched him in the stomach at the same time.

He was flown backwards and I took advantage of the situation and threw a kunai at him. Midori had better reflexes than I'd thought and he caught the knife by the hilt, just before it pierced his heart. I couldn't quite figure out how he'd managed it, but he redirected the weapon towards me. I was just about to jump out of the way when something grabbed hold of my ankles, rooting me to the spot. I looked around to see grass snakes holding me in place; I'd stepped into a part of the clearing that I hadn't burned.

The kunai stabbed me in the belly and I cried out and fell backwards, landing hard on my butt. I wrapped my hand around the hilt of the knife and tugged it out gently. I watched as my blood drenched my shirt around the wound area. The pain was almost unbearable and I decided that I had enough chakra to use on a small Healing Jutsu that wouldn't make the wound so deep.

The gash continued to bleed weakly as I finished the Jutsu; I'd left the skin unhealed. I was aware of Midori watching me and I looked up.

"Interesting, but too bad you're finished," he chuckled and withdrew a needle from his vial.

More grass snakes twisted their way around my wrists so that there was no chance of me escaping. I watched in horror as Midori sauntered closer and I wrestled desperately with the bonds that held me in place.

"It's useless, you can't escape. It's sad, I thought you'd be a little more of a challenge," Midori's smile was mockingly disappointed.

Hadn't I injured him enough already to be considered a great opponent? His skin, clothes and hair were all burnt from my fire and he had cuts and scrapes from my sword. Not to mention a few bruises from my punches.

Midori stopped a few meters away from me and drew his hand back, preparing to throw the Tatsushi drenched needle at me. I squeezed my eyes shut, awaiting the pain. At least Kakashi was safe. However, I did wish that I'd been able to tell him that I loved him one last time before I died.

"NO!" someone screamed as I heard Midori grunt as he chucked the needle.

The sound of the needle embedding in flesh was audible but it was not my own that it had pierced. I opened my eyes to see Kakashi lunging past me, the needle protruding from his right arm. I panicked for a second, thinking that the poison would kill him but then I remembered that the Tatsushi poison only affected people with the dragon Kekkei Genkai.

As Kakashi landed on the ground he unsheathed his own Ninjaken. He stood and took a protective stance in front of me. I was so relieved to see him.

"Who are you?" Kakashi demanded, pointing his sword at Midori's heart.

"He's called the Tatsu Satsugaisha," I responded to Kakashi's question when Midori did not.

Kakashi glanced at me over his shoulder with wide eyes; he wasn't wearing his headband or his ANBU mask.

"What do you want with her?" Kakashi growled his question and crouched lower in his stance.

"Humph, this is why I avoided _actually_ capturing your boyfriend," Midori spoke to me only. "I'd heard that he was troublesome," I smiled as Kakashi took a jab at him.

"Answer my question!" Kakashi ordered and Midori took a couple steps backwards.

"I just want to kill her, that's all," Midori shrugged as if it was nothing and Kakashi glared at him.

"Why?" Kakashi forced him to take another step back as he advanced.

"You don't know? Well, I guess I'm not surprised. Tatsue and I are the last of our clans so the story dies with us I guess. Even so, I would've thought that you would tell your significant other your family history," Midori smirked as he directed his last comment to me.

I avoided Kakashi's gaze as I sensed him half turn to look at me. Great, if Kakashi and I every survived this mess then I would have no choice but to explain everything.

Midori took advantage of Kakashi's slight distraction to reach inside his cloak once more and he pulled something out that resembled a mace. Kakashi swung his sword around a second later and their battle began.

"Anyway, our clans have been enemies forever and I thought yours had been completely wiped out. However, when I heard rumours about a dragon in Konoha, I realized that one of them must've survived the massacre. So I decided to exact my revenge by killing the last Tatsuha and I began to train. I read all the books my parents and clan had written about your kind and I learned from their mistakes so that when I finally did meet you, I would be stronger and it seems like it's paid off too. Now I can redeem my family's honour and prevent Konoha from becoming even more powerful," Midori directed his explanation to me as he tried to keep Kakashi in the dark.

The only time he really acknowledged Kakashi's presence was when he swung his sword at him.

Kakashi's face was confused as I saw him trying to piece all of the information together. His eyes flickered from me back to Midori searching for more pieces to the puzzle.

"Why does it matter if she's learned a Transformation Jutsu? Couldn't your clan just have learnt it as well?" Kakashi asked as he blocked a blow from the mace.

"Transformation Jutsu! Don't you know that it's a Kekkei Genkai?" Midori lunged at Kakashi.

Kakashi faltered at the news and Midori's mace caught him in the stomach. The crunch of ribs was the only sound that filled the clearing as Kakashi was flown into a nearby tree.

"Kakashi!" I screamed but he was barely conscious.

"This is almost too easy," Midori chuckled.

That's it, he'd crossed the line. I felt myself beginning to transform, but it wasn't the dragon that I controlled; the angry, instinct driven creature burst from me.

The snakes around my arms and legs snapped as they became too thin to hold my muscled limbs. I roared menacingly and Midori jumped away as I startled him. The sound made Kakashi focus on me but he couldn't move.

"Finally," Midori said as he swung his mace around.

"I'm going to kill you," I hissed and my narrowed eyes conveyed all the hate I held for him and people like him.

"Try," Midori challenged.

I roared angrily and lunged at the stupid Grass ninja. My jaws closed around air and his spiky mace whacked me in the neck. Luckily my scales prevented any damage that the mace could've inflicted.

I forced the blade out of my tail and swung it around at Midori's face. He dodged it but I was able to put a deep gash in his right bicep. I reared up and brought my front paws down on Midori's head. My claws dug into his skull and I dragged them down the sides of his head. I pulled away as the smell of blood became overpowering.

Midori's eyes became hazy but he managed to throw all of his poison drenched needles at me. I unfolded my wings and pushed off of the ground. I missed all of the needles by a couple of inches and then crashed back to the ground and caused it to buckle a bit under my weight. I took a giant gulp of air, preparing to blow a ball of fire.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Midori warned me and I snapped my head around to look at him.

He held a small dagger to Kakashi's neck. I froze; if I blew the fireball at Midori I would burn Kakashi as well. I racked my brain for an idea and one came to me.

I hid my tail behind my back as I folded the blade back inside my skin. At the speed of light, I wrapped my tail around Kakashi and pulled him out of harm's way. He cried out as I put pressure on his broken ribs. At the same time I released my giant ball of flame in Midori's direction and used a little extra chakra to form teeth.

The smoke cleared and I was able to see Midori pinned to a charred tree with teeth protruding from his body. To my astonishment he was still able to move and I growled angrily. I rested Kakashi against another tree and forced the blade back out of my tail.

"Die!" I hissed as I shot my tail straight at Midori's heart.

I felt the blade pierce his heart and continue straight through his body until it thudded to a halt in the tree's bark. I watched as the life drained out of Midori's eyes at a painfully slow speed but eventually he slumped over.

I exhaled and withdrew my tail from the body. My eyes returned to normal and I looked for Kakashi. I took a few steps towards him but his eyes became wide with fear but shocks of pain crossed his features every few seconds. I returned to my human form and trotted towards him.

"I'll heal your ribs," I told him soothingly as I knelt beside him.

"Y-you-" Kakashi started having a coughing fit before I could understand what he was trying to say.

My hand hovered above his chest as I started the Jutsu. The green chakra made a comforting noise as I concentrated on healing the bones and slightly torn flesh. As soon as I'd finished with his bones, I yanked out the needle in his right arm and healed the small hole it had left.

My breathing was quick and shallow after I'd finished healing Kakashi. I'd used up a lot of chakra during my fight and the Healing Jutsu had drained me that much more.

"You're bleeding!" Kakashi cried, panicked as he pointed at the hole in my stomach and the gash across my side.

I put my left hand over the gash in my stomach and sure enough I could still feel the blood oozing out. I put my right hand against the wound on my side and began to heal it. Kakashi watched; amazed and concerned at the same time.

"I'll be fine," I reassured him and he reached towards me.

He picked up the bangs from behind my ear and placed them in front of my Sharingan eye. I smiled and moved my hand to the cut in my stomach. It healed within a few minutes but I realized that there were thin, white scar lines where my injuries had been. I sighed and rested my hands on my lap and analyzed Kakashi's face.

"I think I owe you an explanation," Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"Yes you do, so you might as well start," he crossed his arms, awaiting my answer.

"I'd rather tell you somewhere private," I informed him.

Kakashi cocked his head to the side and I sighed.

"It'll take a long time to explain and I don't want to stay here," I nodded in the direction of Midori's corpse.

"Understood," Kakashi said as he rose to his feet.

I pushed myself off the ground with a lot of effort. I lost my balance and staggered backwards in order to keep it but started to fall. In a second Kakashi had raced behind me and caught me before I hit the earth.

"You've used too much chakra. I'll carry you home," Kakashi said as he swung me up into his arms.

The position felt somewhat familiar and I remembered the night Kakashi had carried me to the hospital after the Kyuubi attack. I cuddled into his chest and Kakashi held me tighter.

"Where's White Fang?" I asked and then froze, realizing that I hadn't told Kakashi his name yet.

"He's waiting for us back at your place," Kakashi's face was emotionless.

I wondered if he was mad but it was too hard to tell.

"I named him after your father, before the… He was a great ninja that deserves recognition," I explained quietly.

Kakashi smiled under his mask but it did not reach his eyes. Kakashi still hated his father for committing suicide and leaving him all alone.

"How did White Fang find you?" I asked changing the topic, slightly.

"He saw us wandering around the village and he told me that he'd left the clearing right after you'd figured out that I hadn't been taken hostage," Kakashi smirked at me as he leapt from tree to tree.

"Where were you by the way?" I asked drowsily.

"The Third Hokage called me to his office and said that he'd received a mission for me and only me. I brought Pakkun and my Nindogs with me but when we arrived, no one was there. So we decided to come back to the village after a bit and that's when…White Fang found us and told us that you were in trouble. Seems like we came just in time too," Kakashi explained and the smile disappeared from his face.

"Where's Pakkun?"

"He didn't want to get in the way of the fight so he stayed with your wolf."

The next few minutes passed in comfortable silence. I hid my eyes by tucking them into Kakashi's chest. I was very comfortable and slowly, I started to drift off to sleep.

"Is she alright?" White Fang's worried voice woke me up.

"Yeah, just a little exhausted," Kakashi explained as I turned over in his arms.

My vision was blurred slightly, but when it cleared I realized that we were walking up the path to my house. White Fang and Pakkun were sitting on the little porch, awaiting our arrival anxiously.

White Fang opened the door awkwardly for us with his teeth as Kakashi continued to carry me. The two canines trotted ahead of us and led the way to my bedroom which lay down the hall from the living room.

"What a mess!" Kakashi exclaimed and I realized that I'd forgotten to clean up the glass before I'd left the house.

Kakashi set me on my feet but kept one arm around my waist for support. I clutched at his shirt as he used his chakra to pick up the glass fragments. I heard the tinkle of glass as he dropped the mess into the trashcan in my bathroom.

He placed me gently on the bed when he had finished and I curled up under the covers. He bent down to pick something up off the floor and straightened with a rock and then a piece of paper in his hands. I realized that he was reading the letter Midori had sent through my window.

"Why'd you come after me so unprepared? That's totally unlike you," Kakashi looked at me sadly and then out the shattered window where the sun had almost finished rising.

"Because you were in danger," I thought the reason was painfully obvious.

Kakashi chuckled and lay down beside me. I snuggled into his chest and he wrapped one arm around my waist while the other played with a strand of my hair. I sighed and started to slip into unconsciousness.

"Apparently, I'm not that great at saving people; you always end up saving me," I whispered quietly and Kakashi laughed and kissed my forehead.


	11. Chapter 10

naruto characters belong to masashi kishimoto while the rest are mine

* * *

Chapter X: The Truth

Chapter X: The Truth

**(Next morning)**

_White Fang and I were much younger as we ran through the forest of cherry blossom trees. We came upon a small house and entered._

"_Mom, Dad?" I called out._

_We walked into the living room and there two bodies lay, drenched in blood. _

"_Mom, Dad!" they did not stir as something sounded behind me. _

_I whirled around to see five figures standing in the doorway; their faces hidden in shadows. The tinnier of the figures approached me with his sword pointed directly at my heart. The boy I loved was going to kill me. I roared in anger as he lunged and I transformed into my evil dragon... _

I sat upright in bed and let loose a blood curdling scream. I covered my face with my hands and realized that I was sweating. I had to get a hold of myself… I always relived my past after transforming into a dragon; I should be used to it by now.

No, there was no way that I could ever get over what had happened… I could do my best to push the memories out of my mind but they always returned… And now I would have to show Kakashi the truth and that meant that I had to go into every single painful little detail; something that I was not at all pleased to do.

"Well at least I know you're awake. You've been out of it for a little over a day," White Fang's slightly sarcastic voice came from my carpet.

I lifted my head out of my hands to stare down at the wise yellow eyes. It was light inside my room and I felt well rested but still a little sore from my fight. My ANBU uniform was completely ruined because of the hits I'd taken from Midori but at least I had multiple ANBU shirts to replace the one I wore.

"Where's Kakashi?" I asked, realizing that he was nowhere in sight.

"He went to get you a new window," White Fang nodded his head in the direction from which the sunlight flooded my room.

"That was considerate of him."

"Yeah but he left Pakkun here and I'm pretty sure that the Hokage heard you scream."

"He'll probably tell Kakashi when he comes back," I winced at the thought.

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter since you'll have to explain everything to him which are the source of your nightmares," White Fang shrugged indifferently.

"I don't want to tell him…" I muttered.

"It's too late, you already promised. Besides, Midori's attack really pricked his interest. Do you honestly think that you'll be able to have a relationship with him if you don't tell him the truth?" White Fang growled at my cowardice.

I sighed and tore my eyes away from the wolf's intense gaze; I knew he was right. I looked back at the wolf when his ears swivelled in order to listen to something far away.

"Kakashi's back and Pakkun met him out front," White Fang informed me and then lay his head on the carpet.

I waited patiently and a few minutes later Kakashi cautiously opened my bedroom door. He stuck his head in so he could just see me with his right eye. Kakashi realized that I was awake and entered the room, holding up the window pane for me to see.

"Thanks," I said and Kakashi smiled under his mask.

He walked around my bed and started installing the window. I was startled when Pakkun leapt onto my bed. I stared at the big brown eyes that didn't give a single hint as to what he may be thinking.

"Pakkun says you screamed," Kakashi said, matter-of-factly as he fiddled with the window.

"I'm fine," I lied and Kakashi raised a silvery eyebrow at me when he detected the note of falseness in my voice.

Kakashi wasn't wearing his headband at the moment but he'd screwed his scarred eye shut so that he didn't waste any chakra.

"I'll explain once you're done," I sighed in defeat and played with my hands nervously.

White Fang gave me a reassuring look from the floor while Pakkun just stared at me with his giant sad eyes. It was a little unnerving to have the small animal stare at me in such a way. I couldn't figure out if he was glad that I was finally telling Kakashi the truth or if he was trying to figure out if I would chicken out and come up with some sort of half ass lie. I sighed and pet the top of his head to which I received no reaction.

A few minutes later Kakashi had finished the little chore and he turned towards my bed. I motioned for him to come closer and he sat down beside me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself closer to him; forcing Pakkun to jump off my bed. Kakashi chuckled and ran one of his hands through my straight hair before kissing my forehead. I was amazed at how much I hated that cursed mask that concealed his features. I began to kiss his face and ever so sneakily tucked my fingers under the folds of his mask but he pried my hands free and pushed me away.

"Stop trying to distract me. You promised to fill me in on what that guy was talking about in the clearing yesterday," Kakashi's eye twinkled excitedly as he chuckled.

"Fine… I'm going to show you what really happened when I went on the mission with my squad four years ago," I said and brushed my bangs behind my ear.

Kakashi was taken aback; that wasn't what he'd expected.

"What does that have to do with-" I cut him off by pressing a finger to his hidden lips.

"Everything will be explained… Including what I'm about to show you now," I whispered as I removed my hand from his face and made one quick hand sign.

I looked down at my hands as I made the hand seal.

"Mangekyou Sharingan, Tsukoyomi," I whispered and I felt Kakashi tense as I looked back up at him.

I watched Kakashi's expression change from confusion to shock as he looked into my Sharingan eye.

"How did you get the Mangekyou Sharingan? Don't you have to-" I cut him off once again.

"I said that I would explain everything; just be patient."

The three tomoes in my eye twirled and grew until they looked like black fire dancing around my pupil. I motioned for Kakashi to open his other eye. He did so reluctantly and the second our eyes met I pulled him into my illusionary technique. I had a little struggle but was able to replay my memories…

We landed safely on a giant tree branch; Kakashi fell to his knees. He was a little disoriented from the journey. I scanned the forest as I waited for Kakashi to regain his balance. They would be here any moment…

"What was that?!" Kakashi asked from beside me.

"Everything you are about to see actually happened. The people you are going to see can't hear, smell, touch, feel or see you. We are non-existent to them," I said absentmindedly, not answering Kakashi's question.

The slight rustling of branches pulled our attention deeper into the forest. Kakashi's eyes widened as a younger me, followed by Yuki, Shinsetsu and Yoko-sensei leapt onto a tree branch a little ways away. We watched as the younger me stopped on the same branch that we were on, facing the clearing. Kakashi gaped at the younger me as she raised her hand and motioned for the others to be silent.

"The camp is just on the other side of this clearing," she said, scanning the area before her.

I cringed and took a step back; knowing what was coming. Kakashi stood and walked towards my old self. Trying to prove what I'd said earlier, he reached out and touched her arm. He was shocked to see his hand go through the figure like it was going through water.

"You can't touch a memory," I said simply and Kakashi nodded and returned to my side. "Watch carefully," I said pointing at a very frustrated looking Yuki.

"Come on! Let's go! There's nothing dangerous!" Yuki exclaimed and I relived the terror that I'd felt the first time as I watched him leap over my younger self.

"No Yuki! There's a trap!" I heard myself screech at the same time as my former self.

Kakashi watched the scene before him with wide eyes. I watched helplessly as the kunai knife flew from its hiding spot and embedded itself in Yuki's chest. I sunk to my knees as my former team cried out in horror and then leapt after my fallen comrade. Kakashi put his hand on my shoulder, understanding the pain that I was reliving. He kept his eyes glued to the clearing and gasped when some Rock ninja appeared on the same branch as us and as even more of them encircled the clearing. The lead ninja's voice was as horrible as ever and I squeezed my eyes shut, awaiting the all too familiar sound…

My dragon roar made the trees shudder and I felt Kakashi jump back in surprise as he watched me transform. Then I heard the clash of metal and the screams of ninja I was tearing to shreds. I waited for it to end but it seemed to drag on for eternity.

I think the most painful of all the sounds was hearing Shinsetsu's cry, warning me of the lead ninja's surprise attack. I squeezed my eyes shut even tighter and waited until I was sure that I'd said my last words to my dead comrades.

I opened my eyes and looked up to analyze Kakashi's expression. He was terrified of the hideous monster he'd seen seconds ago but there was a hint of sympathy as well. We watched my former self leap onto a branch and cremate all of the bodies. I stood slowly as Yoko-sensei and her leapt away from the mess she had created. I wanted to cry so badly at that moment but I knew that I couldn't fall apart in front of Kakashi.

Kakashi turned to look at me and I saw an enlightened look overcome his eyes.

"After you told me about this incident, so many years ago, I'd sensed that you were holding something back, but I never pressed. I can't believe that I never thought about you turning into a dragon here after I first learned that you could become one," Kakashi was somewhat cross with me and I sighed and grabbed his hand.

"Come, there is still more to show you," I muttered and closed my blue eye and made a hand sign with my free hand.

A spinning vortex enveloped us and we spun through the multicoloured clouds on our way to a new memory...

"Do you still have Yuki and Shinsetsu's headbands?" Kakashi asked, somewhat nauseated from the swirling.

"Of course, they're in a box under my bed," I smiled sadly as we continued through the tornado of colors.

A minute later we wobbled to a stop in another tree.

"Do you think we could travel without the spinning from now on?" Kakashi's eyes were spinning in two different directions.

"That was the last time we had to do that. The rest I can just fast forward because the memories are close together," I chuckled half heartedly.

I examined the area ahead of us. The tree we were on marked the end of the forest and a few miles away lay a village surrounded by a great stone wall. There were only two entrances to the village and each was guarded by two ferocious looking dragons. The reptiles stood on majestically carved podiums and scanned the forest frequently for any signs of danger.

"Where are we?" Kakashi asked once he'd regained his bearings.

"We're near the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire. This village is called Tatsuha Village; it had great connections with Konoha," I informed him.

"I've never heard of this place," Kakashi responded in awe as he set eyes on the dragons.

"That's not surprising since it was a highly guarded secret that hardly any of villagers from Konoha knew about. Plus it was destroyed the year before we were born."

"Then how is it a memory?" Kakashi was terribly confused.

"My mother transferred her memories to me," I said simply, shrugging as if Kakashi should already know that such a thing was possible.

"_How_ is that even possible?" Kakashi stared; slightly disturbed and I smirked as he'd seemed to read my thoughts.

"Jutsu," I shrugged again, I would explain everything through my memories later on. "Come on, we need to get inside the village before everything starts."

Kakashi stared at me, puzzled but I ignored him as I leapt to the ground a few stories below. He was right at my heels as we raced towards the village.

We slowed our pace as we reached the entrance guarded by the menacing dragons. I walked straight on through without giving them a second glance. Kakashi however, hesitated and even though the dragons never looked at him, he walked past them with extreme caution. I heard him heave a giant sigh of relief as soon as we stood on the main road into town.

The village was a little nicer than Konoha but it had a different feel to it too. The atmosphere in this village was more uptight and stressed whereas the one in the Village Hidden in the Leaves was slightly more laid-back. All the Tatsuha clan members wore serious looks on their faces; even while doing simple things like grocery shopping.

"Why is everyone so on edge here?" Kakashi asked and I almost laughed.

"This, coming from the boy who never used to smile?" Kakashi glared at me and I cleared my throat. "Right now they're in the middle of a war and since they are the warriors that are called on for most battles, they're awaiting a summons," I explained and Kakashi nodded in understanding.

We continued on our stroll through the village without much more conversation. I felt Kakashi grow agitated as the day wore on and nothing else of consequence happened.

"What are we waiting for?" Kakashi's tone was overly frustrated.

"Sorry… I just wanted to feel what it was like to live in this village since I never had the chance," I answered him quietly, wondering if it seemed stupid.

"That makes sense," he tried to comfort me and slid his hand into mine.

"I can speed up memories if you want." I offered and smiled weakly; I didn't want to see the destruction of this place just yet.

"No, it's okay, just as long as I'm not old and grey by the time you finish explaining," Kakashi smiled at me from beneath his mask.

"Thank you," I whispered and snuggled into his side as we turned onto a side road.

The residential area in Tatsuha Village was fairly small compared to Konoha's, but the houses were much grander. A coat of arms hung on the entrance to every home that housed a direct descendant of the Tatsuha clan. The coat of arms displayed the dragon kanji symbol at its centre and then other symbols around it, depicting various acts that the member or members, had done. Kakashi stared at each one for over ten minutes, trying to decipher them.

"What does the kunai mean?" he asked after realizing that each coat of arms we passed contained one.

"The kunai means that they played an important role in a battle," I couldn't help but smile as I explained.

The look on Kakashi's face was priceless as he absorbed everything that I told him; he was like an overgrown four year old. We approached the last house on the block and Kakashi's attention was drawn to one particular symbol that was there.

"What does the little drawing of the tooth mean?" Kakashi pointed up at the coat of arms above the door.

"Our last name means '_dragon's tooth_' and that is the symbol we see before us. You know my Jutsu that allows me to form dragon teeth and add them to any other Jutsu I want?" Kakashi nodded. "Well, there was only one other member of my clan, other than the founders, who were able to think of it and use it. The tooth on the coat of arms means that the person has lived up to the family name. However, each clan member has to create the Jutsu themselves, without any help and it uses a lot of chakra," I watched, amused, as Kakashi's eyes widened.

"Who was the other clan member?" Kakashi was determined to get an answer.

"My grandfather," I grimaced as I looked at the house where my immediate family had lived.

"Wow, no wonder you're so powerful; it's in your blood," Kakashi let go of my hand and ran towards the door. "Come on, I want to see your family," I was shocked that Kakashi actually wanted to enter the house.

I glanced up at the sky; we had a little time to visit before we had to be back out here so we could see the '_show_'. I sighed; part of me wanted to see my grandparents and the other half knew it was going to be a painful experience. I looked back at Kakashi who was watching me worriedly.

"Alright, but we can't stay too long," I agreed reluctantly and trotted towards Kakashi.

We walked through the door and stumbled into the foyer. The house was traditional Japanese style and completely white. The furniture was quite elegant and looked fairly expensive. I knew that since the Tatsuhas were called on frequently for the more dangerous missions, the pay was that much higher. I wasn't that surprised to see that my grandfather's house was a higher end home.

I walked into the living room and ran my fingers over the dragon statues that supported the cherry wood coffee table.

"This house is beautiful," was all Kakashi managed to say.

"I would've loved to live here," I scanned the room in awe, taking in every detail.

I'd never dared to venture into the house in my memories before. I'd just focused on the important events…

"Bara-chan!" a deep voice thundered from upstairs that startled both Kakashi and I.

I stood closer to Kakashi as we waited for the owner of the voice to appear. Angry footsteps rumbled down the stairs and ended in a dark haired man in his early fifties, huffing angrily in the living room.

"Bara!" the man was quite frightening when he was mad.

"So that's your grandpa…" Kakashi trailed off as the man looked in our direction.

"Yup, I'm sure glad that he can't see us at the moment," I found myself whispering even though I knew we were invisible.

"Why is he angry?" Kakashi asked, taking a small step back.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Kakashi gaped at me.

"I thought that you knew everything that's happened here since thistechnically_ is_ your memory," I glowered at the silver haired ninja.

"I've had better things to do then memorize every single thing that happened during my mother's life," I crossed my arms in front of my chest to show my frustration with him.

"Yes, chichi?" a woman asked as she opened a sliding door that led out to the backyard.

"What are you doing?" my grandfather demanded, his face getting redder by the second.

"I was just gardening," Bara, who appeared to be in her mid-twenties, was confused and taken aback by her father's tone.

"Aren't you supposed to be training?! We're in the middle of a war and being a Tatsuha, your Jutsus should be absolutely perfect!" Bara walked deeper into the room, fists clenched by her sides as she listened to her father's speech.

Bara wore a baggy, lime green shirt with pink roses whose color matched that of her pink trousers. Her sandals were black and they matched the nail polish on both her hands and feet. I watched Kakashi's expression turn to astonishment as he analyzed my mother's physical features. Her long hair was coffee brown like mine and her eyes an even more brilliant blue. She looked exactly like me, just an older version. The only significant difference was that her bangs stopped mid-forehead and she had no Sharingan eye.

"She must be your mother," I heard Kakashi whisper as he stared.

"Yeah, pretty isn't she?" Kakashi rolled his eyes as I jabbed him playfully in the ribs.

"You're prettier in my opinion," Kakashi wrapped his arms around my waist as we continued to watch the family drama.

Bara approached her father, placing her hands on her hips.

"My Jutsus are just fine!" she retorted and I realized that she had not a speck of dirt on her, which she would have if she'd been out gardening.

"You liar, you weren't gardening, you were practicing Medical Jutsu again! How many times have I told you that that's not going to get you anywhere? Men in this village want a girl who is tough and who can fight. Don't you ever want to get married?" my grandfather's eyes were almost pleading with my mother's now.

"That's enough Tsuyosa! The neighbours can hear your squabbling; it's quite embarrassing," an older woman walked in through the back door and placed a protective arm around Bara's shoulders.

The woman was obviously a little younger than my grandfather, but her hair had almost turned completely grey as it sat in a giant bun on top of her head. She wore a simple white and navy blue kimono that ended just above her feet.

"But Akina…" Tsuyosa started to whine but obviously my grandmother had the final say in this household.

"Bara's right, she has perfected her Jutsus enough that she can win most battles. So what if she wants to learn some Medical Jutsu? It will help her just as much as fighting skills. Look at me for example; I'm not lucky enough to have the Dragon Transformation Kekkei Genkai but with my Medical Techniques and a few Fire Jutsus, I've done fine. Besides, men aren't just attracted to women who can fight, they have to be beautiful too and Bara's already got that covered. Now go take a walk or something until you've cooled off," my grandmother pointed to the front door and gave my grandfather a stern look.

The older man turned on his heel and grumbled to himself as he left the house, but not before he slammed the door shut to show his displeasure.

"Thank you haha!" Bara exclaimed as she flung her arms around Akina's neck.

"You're welcome dear. Your father just needs to be reminded that fighting isn't everything," she took a step back and looked at her daughter proudly.

"He _is _right about the marriage thing though," Bara sighed and gracefully plopped herself onto a cushion in the living room. "Toshiro is already married and has a kid!"

"Your brother is four years older than you and left this house before that. Since he's a male they have the urge to leave the nest sooner; you're only twenty-six dear, you still have time to find the right man," Akina patted her daughter on the shoulder before heading towards the kitchen.

She came back a few minutes later with a tray of cookies which she placed on the coffee table.

"By the way, do you know where Kunai, Karyuudo and Karasu went? They were here this morning but I haven't seen them since," the old woman asked her daughter and Kakashi's eyes questioned mine.

"They're wolves." I explained. "Remember I told you that all Tatsuha members have a wolf."

"Well if you say you told me then you must have," Kakashi said sarcastically and I elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Kunai said that all the wolves were going out on some giant hunting trip or something in order to be prepared for upcoming battles," Bara answered her mother's question before stuffing a cookie in her mouth.

"That's a lot of wolves on one hunting trip…" Akina seemed to drift off into her own thoughts as she munched on her own cookie.

I looked out the window and realized that the sun was starting to set.

"Come on, nothing more exciting is going to happen here," I pulled on Kakashi's arm and led him through the door.

"I feel like a ghost come back to haunt people," Kakashi shuddered as we passed through the wood and I laughed.

"We have to find a spot near the second entrance by nightfall," I leapt on top of the house and scanned the village.

I found the entrance that opened up towards the Grass Country's border. I took off and kept a relatively slow pace since we still had time to kill before the battle started. The building just beside the entrance was a Teahouse so we settled ourselves on its roof to wait. Kakashi's eyes questioned me and I waited until he decided to voice them.

"So what are we waiting for now?" I looked at him with sad eyes.

"The destruction of the village," I said frankly and looked out towards where the border lay.

Kakashi was silent for a minute as we watched the dragons on duty.

"What would've happened if we walked into any other houses back in the residential area? Since this is a memory wouldn't places your mother hadn't seen been invisible or something?" Kakashi had pondered his question for awhile.

"Yeah, we wouldn't be able to see it if my mother hadn't during her life time. Then again, I am using the Mangekyou Sharingan so I could conjure up a place and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference," I smirked as Kakashi glared at me.

"That's just cruel. You could be making this whole thing up!" he snapped at me.

"Do you honestly think that I could come up with a story like this?" I waved my arms at the whole city. "Telling you the truth is easier then coming up with a lie. If I was lying I definitely would've put less work into it," I scowled at him; did he honestly think that I would lie to him after all this time and after all that had happened?

Kakashi put his arm around me apologetically and held me close as we watched the sun set. After awhile Kakashi laid his head on my shoulder and began to snore. I smiled to myself; he was still tired from our fight with Midori a few days ago. I could let him catch up on his sleep; that way he'd be able to take in more of my explanation and not forget it… Though I did doubt that anyone would be able to forget my history if I told them…

"Wake up!" I shook Kakashi violently and he finally opened his eyes.

"What's happening?" Kakashi jumped to his feet, fully awake.

"The Rock and Grass ninja are here! Look!" I pointed through the Entrance Gates where the dragons stood quietly.

"I don't see anything," Kakashi's eyes questioned my sanity.

"You can't sense anything since this is a memory… Sorry, I forgot about that part," I mentally slapped myself for being stupid of course I knew the exact time they would arrive so I was prepared.

"Why are there Rock and Grass ninja here?" I'd forgotten to tell Kakashi why the village was being attacked in the first place.

I quickly retold the history of the Tatsuha Village and Kakashi listened intently.

"So basically, they're coming here to kill off all of your family because they don't want the Land of Fire to become more powerful," Kakashi pieced the main ideas together to make sure he'd gotten the point of my story.

I nodded, "Right now they've surrounded the village and are waiting for a signal," I shuddered. "I'm not sure how much of this I want to watch," Kakashi pulled me into his embrace as we waited.

"How do you know what's happening; your mother isn't around?"

"Actually she's sitting on her roof right now so she can see the whole village from there. After the battle though she came up with explanations about what had happened and then her wolf confirmed them when she caught scents from around the village later on," I hoped that I was making sense; this was something extremely difficult to explain.

Kakashi nodded and then fell silent. A few minutes later we were startled by four explosions that went off at different sections of the giant stone wall that surrounded the village. Parts of the wall began to crumble and the smoke and dust clouded our view. The dragons at the entrances roared an alarm and the whole village started to swarm.

As the smoke near the walls cleared, giant holes became visible and tiny figures bounded through them and infiltrated the village. That's when the screams started… I couldn't tell which side they belonged to but the curious Tatsuhas who had ventured out of their homes now found themselves surrounded by ninja.

I watched as twenty-six dragons burst into the sky and began to blow fire at the enemy. A brilliant pink and lime green dragon caught my attention as it swerved above our heads before dive-bombing a group of Rock ninja. I knew my mother would be alright but I found it hard to pull my eyes away from her.

However, the scream of another dragon seemed to be enough of a distraction to divert my attention back to the village entrance. Kakashi and I watched as the purple dragon, who had somehow been scraped by an arrow on her arm, was now writhing in pain in the dirt.

"Murasaki, get up! It's just a stupid scratch! Ninja are coming this way and you're just lying there!" the other dragon yelled as he kept one eye on his partner and the other on the advancing ninja.

I watched in horror as the purple dragon seemed to shrivel up slightly. Her wings, limbs and tail turned black like they were being burned, yet there was no fire. The dragon's black eyes popped out of their sockets before they rolled up until all I could see was the white of them. She gave a last, violent shudder before she suddenly stopped moving.

Her partner watched the poor dragon die before turning to the ninja coming at him. The dragon killed at least a hundred before one lucky ninja was able to graze him on the stomach with a kunai. I couldn't tear my eyes away as he met the same fate as his friend had.

I began to shiver uncontrollably and Kakashi wrapped his arms around my body in an effort to soothe me. I heard a man cry from inside the Teahouse and then someone setting something on fire.

"They're going to blow up the Teahouse!" I screamed and Kakashi's eyes grew wide.

He pulled me up into his arms and quickly dashed across a few roof tops until we were at least ten buildings away from the Teahouse. The explosion was huge and wiped out everything within a twenty foot radius. Kakashi covered my head as bits of wood and glass flew around and through us. We both knew that there was no need to worry about getting hurt but it was hard not to react when your instincts told you there was danger.

Kakashi looked down at me and his eyes smiled sweetly as he placed me on the roof. I was still somewhat traumatized by the sight of the effect that the Tatsushi poison had on my clan members.

"What happened to those dragons?" Kakashi nodded back in the direction of the entrance.

"That's what Tatsushi poison does to Tatsuha clan members with the Kekkei Genkai. All the ninja drenched their weapons in it before this battle. It's lethal and my clan had no idea that they were using such a dangerous poison. Remember the needle that you protected me from back in the clearing with Midori? That was drenched in the same poison, and if it had hit me…"I shuddered as I remembered the dragon that had died at the entrance. "My mother told me to avoid it at all costs," I squeezed my eyes shut trying to get the terrifying image out of my head.

"I think I get the point of what's happening here. Do you want to fast forward your memory until we get to something that you need to show me?" Kakashi asked as he wrapped his arms around me.

I smiled gratefully up at him. I hated seeing the downfall of my family in such a bloody and terrifying manner. Of course I'd seen it many times in my head but actually living the experience was a hundred times more terrifying. I focused my chakra and made a hand sign and my Mangekyou started to whirl, causing the village around us to become a blur. I respected Kakashi's wishes and we did not spin, the world whizzed past us instead.

I stopped once I'd advance us to the morning after the destruction of the village. Kakashi and I scanned the area; the whole village had been trampled to the ground. Not a single building or wall was left intact. The whole place was littered with the bloody bodies of my clan members and enemy ninja; most of them mutilated beyond recognition. I was careful not to study them too closely; I already felt like I was going to puke. I'd avoided looking into too many details in my mother's memory for this exact reason.

"This is revolting; nothing is left and everyone's dead," Kakashi clucked his tongue in disgust.

"Not everyone…" I said quietly and began to make my way through the rubble towards the village entrance we'd first come through.

A mournful howl reached our ears from somewhere in the forest beyond. I picked up our pace as something pink and green caught my eye. My mother's clothes were torn and bloody but the blood came from wounds inflicted by the flying debris of explosions. Bara lay very still and it didn't look like she was breathing and I felt Kakashi's tension as he stood behind me.

Suddenly, a silver wolf appeared and cautiously slunk into the remnants of the village. The she-wolf spotted Bara and leapt to her side and began to lick and nudge her franticly in hopes of waking her. Finally, after a few minutes, my mother groaned and sat up extremely slowly. Her eyes took a moment to focus on the wolf before her but eventually they shone with recognition.

"Oh Kunai, it's you!" Bara exclaimed and flung her arms around the wolf's neck.

"Of course it's me, who'd you think it was? What happened here? I leave you to go hunting and when I return the whole village is in ruins!" the wolf stared at my mother, awaiting her answer.

"It was awful! There were thousands of enemy ninja and our sentries didn't detect them until it was too late! They used the poison from the Tatsushi flower and how they found out about it I'll never know!" Bara paused and looked at her dirty, blood stained hands. "Everyone's gone… They made sure of that…" my mother's eyes filled with tears and I desperately wished that I could hug her and tell her that everything was going to be alright.

She was alone, the only survivor. No one understood how she felt more than I… Then again, it was her fault that I was alone now too…

"Come one, we can't stay here. We should go to Konoha; it's safer there. We can keep your identity a secret and maybe we can start a new life," Kunai suggested quietly.

Bara nodded and wiped away the tears that had spilled from her eyes. She stood and stared at where the residential area had been.

"You wait here; there's a few things I want to get from the house," Bara took a step in her house's direction.

"There's probably nothing left…" the wolf stated but my mother ran off anyway.

We waited for a half hour for my mother to return and in that time the three of us wandered aimlessly through the wreckage. Both Kakashi and I were interested in seeing the extent of the damage and I took the time to mourn for the family I had lost. Bara finally came back and the wolf was surprised to see her carrying a full backpack.

"You were actually able to find stuff?!" Kunai exclaimed as she sniffed the bag.

"Luckily, mother's Healing Jutsu books and our Wolf Summoning Scroll were left untouched," Bara explained sadly.

"That's it? Well, I guess I'm not surprised. Do you have enough chakra to heal yourself now? You can't enter Konoha looking like that," the wolf shook her head as she assessed the girl.

Bara sighed, "I'll clean myself up just before we get there. It takes about a day to get there from here anyway," the kunoichi lifted the bag onto her shoulder and the two companions bounded away from the village and into the trees.

Kakashi and I took off after them and I caught him looking back at the once grand village. When he glanced back at me, his eyes were full of pity. I didn't want pity, I already pitied myself enough.

After running for about an hour Bara needed a rest. They stopped in a tiny clearing and Kakashi and I watched them from the trees.

"You said that all Tatsuha members had a wolf, so what happened to the rest of them? Kunai was the only one that came back," Kakashi asked while keeping his gaze on the beautiful silver wolf below him.

"As soon as a wolf is bonded with a human, the wolf can live as long as its human does. A wolf is only loyal to its master until one of them dies though. If the wolf is killed, a human can choose another one but it doesn't work the other way around. Once a wolf's human is killed, that bond is severed and the wolf can go back to living in the wild. They completely forget about their human partner which is the case with the other wolves that belonged to the Tatsuhas back in the village. Their bonds were broken so they resumed normal wolf behaviour, but since Bara wasn't dead, Kunai knew that she was alive so she returned to the village," I sighed and thought of White Fang.

Kakashi nodded and was silent again as we watched Bara as she began to heal her wounds. A few minutes later she looked completely healthy again but her torn and blood stained clothes made her efforts almost pointless. She picked up her things and was dashing through the forest before Kakashi and I could sit up.

I sped the time along as we ran next to Bara and soon after, we reached the forest that surrounded Konoha. It was about noon the next day in my memories and Bara and Kunai slowed their pace and Kakashi and I followed suite. We hopped down from the trees and walked just behind the two companions as the entrance to the village came into view but we remained obscured by the trees' trunks. My mother took a deep breath and then stepped into the sunlight.

There was a thin stream of people entering and leaving the village and Bara joined their ranks, unnoticed. In normal circumstances, Kakashi and I would've had trouble following her but since we could just walk through the people, our path went uninterrupted.

My mother meandered through the village, avoiding as many people as possible. However, the one's she did meet gave Kunai and her odd looks. A low rumbling caught my attention and I glanced at Bara. She put her hands on her stomach and we all realized that she was starving.

"There's a delicious aroma coming from over there," Kunai nodded her head in the direction of the scent.

Bara nodded and Kunai led the way around a couple of corners until we arrived at a restaurant that everyone in Konoha loved.

"Itchiraku?" Bara stared puzzled at the sign.

Bara entered the shop with Kunai at her heels; Kakashi and I followed and stood behind her.

"Hey lady, no dogs allowed," the chef behind the counter said sternly.

Kunai growled, "I'll stay close," she whispered before disappearing.

Bara took a seat and analyzed the other two customers in the store. An elderly woman sat on her left and beside her was a younger man. It was the man that attracted my mother's attention the most. He seemed to be about the same age as her, maybe a few years older. He was fairly handsome, had a muscular build, dark eyes and short black hair. Bara leaned back a little to focus on the symbol on the back of his black jacket; a red and white fan. Kakashi and I watched as she snapped her attention back to the chef. She'd just realized that he was a member of the Uchiha clan. Kakashi's questioning gaze was all I needed in order to answer his question.

"The Uchihas aren't very fond of the Tatsuhas since we're better with Fire Jutsu then they are," I explained quietly keeping my attention on my mother.

The Uchiha had caught Bara looking at him and she blushed in embarrassment.

A flicker of movement caught our attention; a tiny hand was digging into the old woman's purse.

"Hey!" Bara exclaimed, standing abruptly.

Startled, the boy took off with a few dollars in his hand. Bara didn't seem to think twice as she chased after the youth. I pulled Kakashi along with me as we followed my mother through the streets of Konoha. The boy took a sharp left turn but Bara kept up with him. However, she seemed to be slowing down ever so slightly; her strength still hadn't returned.

"Earth Style, Inner Decapitation Jutsu!" she cried and made a few hand signs.

Bara disappeared into the ground and Kakashi realized where he'd seen the technique before. Kakashi and I watched as the youth looked over his shoulder to see if he was still being pursued.

"Lost her," he muttered to himself.

**BAM**

A fist emerged from the earth right in front of the boy, hitting him square in the jaw and sending him backwards. I saw the realization hit the boy's eyes as he saw Bara crawl out of the ground. He landed with a thud on his back that knocked the wind out of him.

"Fire Style, Fire Cell Jutsu!" Bara yelled as she placed her fingers to her lips and blew streams of fire at the youth.

The streams encircled the boy, forming a cage as I heard Kakashi gasp beside me.

"My mother created the Jutsu," I informed him and he gave me an odd look.

I kept my eyes on the boy as he floated amidst the flames. He looked like he was about to cry; definitely not ninja material.

"Alright you little thief, why don't you hand over the money you stole from that nice old lady?" Bara stood tall, hands on her hips, in front of the fire cage.

"I'm sorry, I'll give it back! Just don't hurt me!" the boy whimpered.

"I won't but doesn't this village have some sort of punishment for rule breakers like you?" Bara asked, a wicked smile playing across her lips.

The boy's eyes widened in fright and he began to tremble violently.

"Rope Binding Jutsu!" Bara said as she extended her hands towards the boy.

Chakra slithered from her fingertips and formed real rope as they secured the boys limbs.

"Fire Cell Release," Bara said making the simple hand sign and the boy fell to the ground.

"That was amazing…" a voice sounded behind us that even startled Kakashi.

He scowled at me; he didn't like not having any senses. We both looked back at the Uchiha who had been in the restaurant earlier. Bara recognized him at the same time we did and blushed.

"Oh, uh, thanks," she avoided eye contact as she muttered to the handsome man.

"My name is Honoo Uchiha," Honoo walked forward and bowed to Bara. "I was just about to grab this boy when you startled him out of the shop," he explained.

"I have fast reflexes… I'm Bara by the way," she rubbed the back of her neck self-consciously.

"I'll take this little runt off of your hands and turn him in to the Hokage for you," Honoo offered and as he did so he pointed his thumb at his chest and flexed his muscles.

"Show off," Kakashi muttered beside me and I poked him in the bicep which in return received a glare.

"Sure, thanks," Bara accepted timidly.

"Here, you can return that old lady's money," Honoo said as he yanked the bills out of the boy's grip. "Stay at the restaurant though; I want to talk to you after I'm done with him," Honoo smiled and ignored Bara's protest as he flung the boy over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Bara sighed and walked back the way we'd come, money in hand. Kakashi and I kept a few paces away from her as we walked back to the shop.

"Your mother sure gets nervous around handsome men… Something you sure didn't inherit," Kakashi smirked.

"Don't be so conceited," I rolled my eyes and he chuckled.

We arrived at the ramen shop a few minutes later and the old lady was ecstatic to have her money back.

"Oh thank you dear for going through all the trouble of getting it back for me! That little rascal only stole a small amount so you can keep it; consider it as a reward," the lady eyed Bara's torn and slightly bloody clothes but kept a kind smile on her face.

Bara thanked the old woman as she shuffled out of the shop. Counting the money my mother realized that there was enough to buy a bowl of ramen, which she did. Kakashi and I sat next to her as she ate in silence.

"She and my father brought me here a couple of times when I was little," Kakashi had to strain to hear my words and he gave me a sad smile.

"By the way, when do we get to meet your dad?" Kakashi's tone brightened with excitement.

"You just did, baka," I sighed and I saw Kakashi wince, which I figured was him mentally slapping himself.

"So, Honoo's your dad? Well he seems a little too self absorbed to be a good father," Kakashi noted, crossing his arms.

"Mom said he got better after they were married," I shrugged; I didn't really care how my father had acted.

"You done yet?" Honoo's voice startled Kakashi.

"Kuso, I hate this!" I giggled as Kakashi swore and jumped away from his stool as Honoo sat on it.

"Um, almost," Bara said, being slightly cautious as she did not yet know what the man wanted to talk to her about.

Bara paid shortly after and Honoo motioned for her to follow him. She raised a suspicious eyebrow but followed him out of the shop anyways. Kakashi and I were close behind as Honoo led us to a small, secluded park close to the Uchiha District. Bara was notably on edge now, being so close to an enemy clan and Honoo seemed to notice but didn't say anything.

"So where are you from?" Honoo's suddenly serious tone caught Bara off guard and she stuttered.

"Uh oh," Kakashi said beside me.

"Why does it matter where I'm from?" Bara finally managed to rebound the question.

"Well, first of all because I've never seen you around here before and secondly, even Uchiha members haven't been able to duplicate the Jutsu you did a little while ago. Having said that, it must mean you created the Jutsu yourself, meaning that you are way more powerful than you look," Honoo's intense gaze made Bara take a few steps back. "Please answer my questions or I may be forced to take you to the Hokage," Bara glared as Honoo advanced.

"Oh, the Hokage wouldn't dare do anything to me! My clan's more respected than yours anyway!" Bara froze as she realized she'd let a little too much information slip.

"The only other clan that it more revered than us is…" Honoo's eyes grew wide as he put two and two together.

My mother's hand signs were so quick that _I _even had a hard time deciphering them. A thick rope quickly gagged and tied Honoo and he coughed in surprise as he fell down. Bara quickly made another string of hand signs and this time a barely visible cone of chakra surrounded them.

"What's that?" Kakashi asked, reaching out to touch the barrier in front of him.

"It's a Chakra Sound Barrier, so no one can hear their conversation. Come on," I yanked on his arm and pulled him inside the chakra cone.

Bara's eyes pleaded with Honoo's as he tried to speak around the gag.

"It's true, I am from the Tatsuha clan but I need your help. Please listen to me and promise that you won't breathe a word of what I'm about to say to you to anyone else."

Kakashi and I watched my father's expression change from surprise, to curiosity, to pity as my mother relayed the destruction of Tatsuha Village. Bara's eyes filled with tears near the middle of her story and slowly, they made their way down her cheeks. She was silent as soon as she'd finished and she didn't look Honoo in the eyes. Bara released the Rope Binding Jutsu and kept her gaze on the grass once she'd finished. Honoo stared at her silently, watching her tears fall to the ground.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Honoo whispered and Bara snapped her head up to look at him.

Those words had never been traded between the two clans before.

"You obviously have been through a lot… You need a place to stay and at the same time keep your secret, which I promise to keep by the way… Why don't you stay with me? Actually, I could talk to my father and we could have you adopt the Uchiha name. You'd fit right in with such expertise with Fire Jutsu and no one would ever know!" Honoo grew excited at the idea.

"I don't know… How can I trust you?" Bara's tear filled eyes regained a suspicious look.

"You trusted me enough to tell me your story," Honoo pointed out.

Bara sighed, "I don't know…"

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," Honoo flashed a heart warming smile, stood and put his arm around her shoulders protectively.

Bara nodded, released her Chakra Sound Barrier Jutsu and Honoo steered her in the direction of the Uchiha District entrance. Kakashi started to walk after them but I grabbed the back of his shirt.

"What? We're going to miss something!" he protested.

"No we aren't. We need to fast forward a couple of months and I'll fill you in on the way," Kakashi started to pout as I used my Mangekyou again.

The world started to zoom past us and Kakashi gazed at it hungrily.

"So what exactly are we missing?" he asked.

"Well, my mother was adopted into the Uchiha clan without a problem. She lived in a small apartment by herself for a couple of months and no one ever figure out that she was a Tatsuha. Then a couple weeks later, Honoo proposed to her and they got married. She gave up her Kekkei Genkai and a few months after that she found out that she was pregnant with me, which is where we're heading now," I rushed through my explanation.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What was that part about your mother giving up her Dragon Transformation Jutsu?" I winced as he asked me the question I had been hoping to avoid.

"Well, my mother decided to give up her dragon form so that she would be less likely to be discovered. You see, when we get really angry, there's a part of our brain that is completely dragon and therefore, run purely on dragon anger and instinct. It's that part that's activated when we're enraged and makes us transform unwillingly and doesn't allow us to have much control over our bodies. You saw me like that in the clearing with Midori and then when I replayed the mission with my squad…" I paused and watched the memories whiz past us.

"So how was your mother able to give up her dragon from?" Kakashi pressed.

"I don't know too many details but all I know is that the Un-Binding Jutsu was created a long time ago by a few members of our clan. My mother apparently had to go back to what was left of the village and find a secret scroll hidden underground that contained the hand seals or whatever you need to perform it. It's very dangerous though, performing the Jutsu means that you have to cut off part of your brain from the rest of your body so it won't send any signals. If the person performing it isn't careful they could easily kill themselves or cause some permanent damage to their chakra flow or brain. It's a miracle that my mother survived; she was the only one to ever survive the ordeal… My father had thought that it would be a good idea to have her completely human but when she returned and told him about what she'd gone through, he was furious with himself for having made her suffer so," Kakashi just stared at me as I finished.

I made the memories stop at that same moment and Kakashi scanned the area. We were by the same pond by the Uchiha District that we'd been at moments earlier.

"I don't see any-" I cut Kakashi off and pointed in the direction from which my parents were approaching.

"I can't believe we're going to have a baby! I wonder what it'll be, a boy or a girl… I don't really care just as long as it's healthy! It'll be so much fun! I can teach it all the Uchiha Jutsus and then-" my mother pressed a finger to stop the avalanche of overexcited words from escaping Honoo's mouth.

"You know you won't be able to do that right away," Bara teased.

"Maybe I will! Perhaps our baby will be super strong and smart… It _does_ have superior genetics," Honoo lowered his voice slightly at the last sentence.

The small park was deserted but Bara cast a nervous glance around the area anyway.

"Speaking of genetics there's something I want to talk to you about. Since I'm a direct descendant of the main Tatsuha branch, our baby will probably be able to transform into a dragon even though I can't anymore," my mother whispered and Kakashi and I had to creep closer to hear her words.

"Can't we just teach it not to use the Jutsu?" my father's frown showed that he was thinking about what my mother had gone through in order to lose her powers.

"We can, but we won't be able to tell if the baby can use the Jutsu until it's older. Finding out you can transform into a dragon happens in the same way that you Uchihas figure out if you have Sharingan; you have to be faced with a life threatening situation," Bara shivered and Honoo wrapped his arms around her.

"So then we'll keep a close watch on the baby and wait and see what happens. Maybe we'll just have to home school the child," my father suggested and he was silent for a moment before a giant, silly grin washed over his face. "Maybe we'll get lucky and our baby will have Sharingan _and_ be able to transform into a dragon!" Honoo's voice got a little too loud and Bara slapped him on the arm.

Honoo chuckled and Bara couldn't keep from smiling back. They continued their stroll through the park and Kakashi looked at me, questioning if we were supposed to follow them. I shook my head and used my Mangekyou to speed us through the memories once more. I watched the colors of the park speed past us as I made a few years pass. I scrutinized Kakashi's face and he seemed to be in his own little world for the time being. Finally, the blurred world came to a halt and Kakashi snapped back to attention as everything regained its proper position.

The sky was dark but a small glow in the east announced the arrival of sunrise. We were still in the park so I started walking towards the entrance of the Uchiha District. Kakashi followed behind me as we travelled down the dirt roads surrounded by lovely houses. I stopped in front of a house that had two levels and was painted a clean white with red trimmings. An archway covered with ivy bordered the path that led the way to the front door and Kakashi and I followed it up to the porch.

I walked through the front door and Kakashi followed behind me. The house was pitch black but I'd committed the layout of my house to memory before I could walk. There was a short wall that separated the entryway from the living room whose furniture matched the color of the house. A door to the left of the living room led to the kitchen and a small dinner table. The backyard was visible from here but a staircase at the far right hand corner obscured a bit of our view.

I walked around the divider, through the living room and started to mount the stairs. Kakashi followed me silently as we rounded a bend in the steps and arrived at the second floor. A door directly in front of me led to my parents' bedroom and a hallway to my left led to a second and third door.

It was the last door that I headed for. I stepped through the wood door and stood in a dark room, dimly lit by the sunlight that was barely beginning to creep through the window that overlooked the front yard. The room was littered with stuffed animals, books (which should've gone on the conveniently placed book shelves), a chair and a small bed in the far right hand corner.

The bed's sheets were white and red as well and underneath them was a tiny girl. I crept towards the bed on the left side and gazed down at my three year old self. My hair was just at my chin and my bangs were evenly cut so that when I was awake, you could see both of my eyes.

"Whoa, you must be what, three?" Kakashi asked, looking down at my sleeping form.

I nodded and crossed over to the other side of the room to gaze out the window. Kakashi was silent as he left me to my reminiscing. He crept around the room, stopping occasionally to study a stuffed animal or book.

"I would think that a child's room would be filled with fairytale story books but all of these are basic Jutsus and hand signs," Kakashi noted as he picked up one with a worn deep green cover.

"I started practicing Jutsu when I was two," I said turning to look back at my younger self who had begun to stir.

"I think I started around the same age too," Kakashi put the book back in its place on the floor.

I was silent and made a few more hours pass by quickly without Kakashi really noticing. I figured that it was about six in the morning once I was done, judging by the sun's newly acquired position.

My younger self woke suddenly and made her bed, which startled Kakashi who had been reading one of her other books. Luckily, anything we touched or moved appeared to be in the same place it had been or my younger self would've seen a floating book in the middle of her room.

The three year old walked over to her closet and chose a blue and green outfit before running out the door.

"Where's she going?" Kakashi asked, taking a hesitant step towards the door.

"She's going to the bathroom to get dressed, baka," I sighed; it felt weird talking about myself in the third person.

Kakashi blushed and refocused his attention on the book he'd been reading. A few minutes later my younger self tip-toed back into her room. I realized that she'd put a blue head band in her hair to keep some of it out of her face. I'd forgotten that I'd liked headbands when I was little.

The younger me trotted to her chair and dragged it over to the window where I was standing. She climbed up on it and gazed out the window intently.

"Who's she looking for?" Kakashi asked, dropping the book and taking a few steps closer.

"Daddy," both of us whispered at the same time.

I took a step back as my younger self quickly jumped off the chair and leapt under the covers in her bed, pretending to be asleep. Kakashi gave me a questioning glance and I pointed to the door in response. A few minutes later it slowly creaked open and a black haired man poked his head through the crack.

"Reicheru, are you awake?" Honoo whispered as he opened the door wider and slowly approached the bed.

My younger self continued to sleep and Honoo placed a hand on her shoulder. She disappeared in a cloud of smoke and my father gasped, whirling around to try and find the real me. She leapt from the opposite corner of the room; landing on my father's back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Got you!" she cried happily and Honoo chuckled.

"Keep your voice down, your mother's still sleeping," the little girl put her fingers to her lips and nodded. "That was a pretty good Clone Jutsu and Camouflage Jutsu. You've been practising while I was on my mission," Honoo complimented his daughter who giggled and nodded in reply.

She slid down from Honoo's back, who bent down so that his eyes were almost level with his daughter's.

"How about we start some training now?" Honoo smiled as he asked, predicting her answer.

"Yes!" my younger self cheered loudly, punching her fist upwards.

She turned on her heel and dashed out of the room.

"Quiet, your mother's still sleeping!" my father whispered franticly, but there was not a sound to be heard as the girl raced down the stairs.

"By the way, how are we seeing this if your mother isn't here?" Kakashi asked quickly.

"I'm supplying my own memory right now but when we go outside my mother will be watching us from the window," I shrugged it off and ran after my father who had rushed downstairs after the younger me.

I could easily switch between my mother's memories and my own without any problem. It was when we got to the harder parts of my life that my Jutsu started to affect me in a negative way and I either felt like I was in pain or relived my past or even both. With the memory of my old squad it had been the pain; that memory wasn't as old or as painful as some of the other stuff I'd been through.

Kakashi was at my heels and we arrived at the foot of the stairs just as my younger self was opening the sliding door to the backyard. My father caught it before it slammed shut and he forced it open to allow himself enough space to step out onto the lawn. He put his hands on his hips and glared jokingly at his kid as she ran towards a stand of cherry trees in the middle of the yard.

"I win! I beat you out here daddy!" she called swinging her legs from one of the sakura's branches after she'd clambered up.

"You're going to get me in trouble with your mother if you aren't quiet," Honoo scolded gently and the girl's eyes were apologetic.

"No wonder you spent so much time in the cherry tree back at the Academy," Kakashi said, catching up to me as I followed Honoo.

"Yeah, they remind me of this lifetime… My mother designed this whole garden," I said, scanning the beautifully landscaped yard.

"She definitely had a talent for it," Kakashi agreed.

"Daddy, you promised to teach me the Grand Fireball Jutsu, remember?" the younger me in the trees whined hopefully.

"Yes I did, but if you want to learn it then we need to go to the lake," Honoo laughed and walked around the stand of cherry trees.

I followed behind the young me and I heard Kakashi gasp as he realized how big the yard really was _and_ that it backed onto the lake. The look he gave me was one of jealousy that I was not intended to see. Kakashi had lived in a fairly nice house back in town when he was younger, but it hadn't been nearly as big or as beautiful as mine.

We stopped at the edge of the lake whose waves produced a calming sound as they beat against the small bank of sand they hand washed up over time.

"Alright, pay attention and I'll show you the hand signs," Honoo made them slow enough for the younger me to see them clearly.

He then took a deep breath and blew a stream of flame over the lake that collected and formed a giant sphere. He was able to hold if for three full minutes before he let the Jutsu go. I looked down at my younger self whose eyes were wide with awe. She stared back up at my father, full of pride.

"Alright, so you know the hand signs and I'll explain how to control your chakra. You focus a bit of it into the pit of your stomach and then you force it up and out of your mouth where it'll turn into flames thanks to the hand signs you'll make. Don't forget to take a deep breath before. Okay, now let's see you try," my father smiled encouragingly.

My younger self took an exaggeratedly huge breath, puffed out her chest and made the hand signs slightly quicker than my father had. She closed her eyes and I knew that she was focusing her chakra. Her eye lids flew open suddenly and she blew the chakra from her body. A fairly large stream of flame burst forth and formed a fire ball over the lake but it was only about half the size of what my father's had been. However, she was able to hold it for five minutes and Kakashi's eyes were full of amazement.

"Excellent! I can't believe you did so well on the first try! Try again, but this time, focus more chakra into the pit of your stomach so that the fireball will be bigger," my father suggested and my younger self nodded.

Kakashi and I watched the two practice Jutsu for two more hours. In the end, the younger me had completely mastered the Grand Fireball Jutsu which was a great surprise to everyone.

"Well, I don't believe anyone has ever mastered that Jutsu as quickly as you have. I also believe that you are now a full-fledged Uchiha," my father smiled.

"Yeah! Do I get a cool jacket now?" the three year old clapped her hands in delight.

"Of course, everyone in the family gets one once they've mastered the Jutsu. If I'm not careful, you might be able to beat me in a fair fight when you're six," Honoo ruffled his daughter's hair, much to her dislike as she was forced to replace her headband.

"Yeah, but you'll probably run out of things to teach her by the time she's six," a female voice said from behind us.

"Mom, did you see me?" the younger me ran up to my mother and hugged her leg.

"Yeah, I did! You did great sweetie!" my mother praised the little cling-on and gave a meaningful glare to my father.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Do you really have to train her so hard? She's only three," my mother shook her head.

"She wanted to learn it, besides it's not my fault that she's such a quick learner and masters everything within a few hours," my father defended himself and my mother sighed.

"Hi Kunai!" my younger self detached herself from my mother's leg and pet the silver wolf who had just trotted up to the small family.

The grey she-wolf wagged her bushy tail and licked the girl's cheek. The wolf looked slightly worn out.

"That reminds me," Bara looked down at her daughter. "Kunai had cubs a couple of weeks ago," the younger me gasped in surprise at the news.

"That's so cool!" she exclaimed.

"No, they're a handful," Kunai muttered and Honoo stifled a laugh.

"Anyway, so I came out here to ask you, Reicheru, if you wanted to learn the Summoning Jutsu," my mother asked her tiny child.

"Now look who's training their kid too hard," my father pouted and my mother just rolled her eyes.

"What am I summoning?" the younger me asked.

"Well, you'd have to sign a contract in your own blood with the wolves and then you could summon one whenever you wanted," Bara explained.

"So I'd get a wolf like Kunai?!" the three year old exclaimed.

"One of her cubs to be exact," Bara nodded and smiled; glad to have such a positive reaction from her daughter.

"Alright, I want to learn the Summoning Jutsu," the younger me said decidedly and she looked expectantly at Bara.

"I've got the Contract Scroll right here," Bara extracted a scroll of parchment from a small pouch attached to her waist and unrolled it on the ground. "Now just prick your thumb and sign your name," Bara pointed to an empty box next to her own name.

Honoo handed his daughter a kunai knife and she pricked her thumb enough so that blood gushed out. The younger me wrote her name expertly in kanji symbols and then Bara folded up the scroll once it had dried. Her daughter sucked on her thumb until the blood stopped flowing out of the wound and looked up at her mother expectantly.

"I'll show you the hand signs, then all you have to do is bite the thumb you used to sign the contract and touch it to the ground and the summons should work. The puppy you get will be with you for the rest of your life. You need to train together and protect each other at all costs," Bara looked at her daughter seriously and she nodded in understanding.

Bara showed her the two hand signs that were essential for the Jutsu and my younger self practiced them for a minute to make sure she had them right.

"Wolf Summoning Jutsu!" the younger me said, biting her thumb until it bled and proceeded to make the hand signs.

Kakashi and I watched intently as she touched her thumb to the ground and kanji symbols appeared on the ground. They were visible for an instant and then disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"Did it work?" both Honoo and Kakashi asked.

The smoke cleared and at the centre of where the smoke had been, was a small, fuzzy, white wolf cub. The cub whimpered and locked eyes with his mother for a second, as if asking what had just happened to him. Kunai gave an encouraging bark and the pup turned his attention on the young girl before him.

"Hello," the cub said timidly and his small voice announced that he was male.

"Hello," my younger self replied, smiling.

"You're going to have to name him," Bara said, turning to Kunai who nodded.

The younger me analyzed the cub for a minute, pondering ideas.

"I like White Fang," she finally announced.

"I guess that makes sense. His fur and teeth are very white," Honoo said, trying to understand how a three year old's mind worked.

"I didn't name him that just because he's white. White Fang and I are going to train hard and become legendary, just like the White Fang of Konoha," my younger self explained and I glanced out the corner of my eye to watch Kakashi's reaction.

His jaw had tightened and his face was expressionless. I sighed; maybe I should've skipped this part…

"That's actually a very good name. Why don't you go take a break from training today and play with White Fang?" my mother smiled as she gave her suggestion.

The younger me giggled and ran back towards the stand of cherry trees, White Fang at her heels. Bara and Honoo stood together, watching her go.

"Are you sure teaching her that Jutsu was a good idea? Your clan is known for having a bond with wolves," Honoo asked worriedly.

"Nobody figured it out all these years that I've been here, so we should be safe. Besides I wanted to at least keep one of our customs alive since I might not get the chance to teach her how to use the Dragon Transformation Jutsu," Bara whispered back and my father nodded. "Do we still have to go to that picnic tomorrow?" Bara asked, somewhat bitterly.

"Yes, arranging marriages is one of the Uchiha customs, so if you get one I get one. Besides Reicheru already likes Fushichou so I don't see the problem," Honoo said ignorantly and Bara sighed.

"It's just the idea of them together and she's only three, she could change her mind about who she likes," Bara countered.

"That's why we do activities together so that they stay in love; this picnic is a good example," Bara sighed heavier this time as Honoo defended his reasoning.

"Fine, who's all going to be there tomorrow?" my mother gave in.

"Us three, Fushichou and his parents, Hiroshi and Ai," Honoo counted off on his fingers.

"Why did you have to be best friends with Hiroshi? Then we wouldn't have to have an arranged marriage for Reicheru," Bara complained.

"If I weren't friends with him then I'd just find another Uchiha family who has a boy we could arrange our daughter with," Honoo chuckled and he and his wife walked back to the house.

I stood there silently, waiting for Kakashi to ask me a question. None came. I turned to look at him and he was staring at me with wide eyes.

"What?!" he startled me with his exclamation; was something seriously wrong?

"You were engaged when you were three?!" Kakashi's voice was enraged, confused and alarmed all at the same time.

"Um, yeah…" I rubbed the back of my neck, embarrassed.

"Are you still engaged? The Uchiha clan is still strong and powerful and if you're supposed to be married and someone sees you with me then-" Kakashi stopped talking as he watched my expression turn deadly and miserable at the same time.

"You don't have to worry, the engagement was broken off long ago," I said acidly and I broke eye contact with him so that he wouldn't think I was angry with him.

"That's good," Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief but his tone told me that he thought my behaviour was strange.

"You'll see why in a bit. I'm going to fast forward my mother's memories to tomorrow," I explained and made the couple of hand signs to activate my Mangekyou Sharingan.

The world around us didn't rush by fast enough so that the image was distorted but it was quick enough that the sun set and moon rose within a couple seconds of each other. The sun rose again until it was almost at the highest point in the sky.

I trotted back to the house since we were still in the backyard. Kakashi followed in silence and I sensed that it was starting to become an uncomfortable one. I walked through the back door and finally we could hear voices. My family was standing in the entryway and Bara was double checking that they had everything.

"So we have the lunch and the blanket… Is that everything?" my mother asked and my father nodded.

"We're going to see Fushichou now," my father smiled sweetly at the younger me.

"Yeah!" she blushed.

The family made their way out the front door and Kakashi and I trailed behind them. We walked out of the Uchiha District, past the pond and out into the forests beyond the walls of Konoha.

"Where are we going?" Kakashi asked.

"There's a cliff around here that looks over the river that my family always went to for picnics," I explained, keeping my eyes on the three people ahead of us.

I saw Kakashi frown at my behaviour out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't help it, I was getting nervous. We were at the point that I hated and feared the most of my past. Did I really want Kakashi to see me in such a terrible state? I knew he would react strongly to what he was going to see and I hoped that he wouldn't leave me as a result.

The trees broke ahead of us and we walked out into the afternoon light. There was loads of space to run around before the drop off to the water below which gurgled happily. Three people already stood in the grassy area, talking animatedly as they awaited the arrival of their fellow Uchihas.

"Ah, Honoo, you finally came," greeted the long, black haired man as he approached.

"You guys are actually very early," Honoo chuckled in reply, shaking the man's hand.

"Hello Bara, Reicheru," the man looked down at the younger me and smiled.

"Nice to see you again Hiroshi," Bara smiled sweetly but it didn't reach her eyes. "And you, Ai and Fushichou," Bara said to the woman and young boy who followed behind Hiroshi.

The little me blushed as the small boy, who had to be about six, stared at her.

"Wanna see this new Jutsu I learned?" Fushichou asked holding his hand out to his future wife.

"Sure!" the younger me squealed happily and grabbed the small hand.

The two kids ran further away from the adults and they began to talk excitedly.

"Keep away from the edge of the cliff!" my mother warned them.

"They'll be fine. Let's set up the picnic," Ai suggested.

The parents unfolded the blanket and unpacked the food and plates Honoo and Bara had brought with them. Kakashi and I left the adults and approached the little kids.

"Okay, my dad taught me the Clone Jutsu the other day. It's really cool," Fushichou bragged.

"Oh yeah? My dad taught me that one awhile ago," the younger me said innocently.

"Alright, let's see who has the best clone," the boy challenged smugly.

"Okay," she nodded and brought her hands together.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" the two of them cried in unison.

A poof of smoke clouded our view for a moment but when it cleared, four figures stood before us. My younger self's clone was an exact replica. If it hadn't been for my Sharingan, I would never have been able to tell the difference between the two. The boy's, however, were easy to differentiate between. The clone was slightly hunched over and one ear was bigger than the other. Everything considered; it was remarkable for a six year old.

"I win Fushichou-san!" the younger me said proudly.

"Humph, fine I admit defeat. Hey, do you wanna spar?" the little boy's hopes were not completely dashed yet.

"Of course!" the younger me prepared her stance and raised her tiny fists.

I visibly tensed and Kakashi noticed. He caught my eye questioningly and I just nodded towards the children. Their fight began and she was obviously less skilled in the Taijutsu department than Fushichou. They slowly walked in a circle trading pathetic punches. However, the older boy was not taking it easy on the little girl. Kakashi grabbed my arm when he noticed something off with the boy's hands.

"He's focusing his chakra in his fists to make a more powerful strike. You're going to fall off the edge of the cliff if he keeps forcing you back like that!" Kakashi was startled by the brutality of the boy and his obliviousness to the danger.

I just waited for the last step that would send my younger self over the edge and commence the disastrous turn my life had taken.

"Reicheru, look out!" my mother screeched from the picnic blanket.

Too late, my younger self took the last step backwards and she slowly tipped over the edge. Kakashi and I rushed to the lip of the cliff to get a better view. The fear that I saw reflected in my younger face was enough to make me relive the whole thing.

My small body tumbled towards the water and I cried out for my mother. I thought I was going to die and I closed my eyes in fear. My body felt strange for a second and then there was a searing pain in my right eye. I realized that the wind had ceased, as if I had stopped falling. I opened my eyes and I looked down; the water wasn't rushing up to meet me anymore and there was a rhythmic motion that seemed to move me up and down. I looked at my body and realized that the color had changed from creamy skin to a clean white, blood red and sunshine yellow. I had scales and my feet and hands had claws. I realized that the rhythmic motion came from me as I was beating wings that had magically grown out of my back, just in time to save me.

I started to panic; what had I become? Was I some sort of monster? My wings faltered as I thought and I began to plummet towards the river once more. I franticly beat them to regain altitude but they pounded the air at different intervals which caused me to move in a crooked line. At least I was heading towards the top of the cliff; safe, sturdy ground.

With a last pump of my newly acquired wings I was propelled above the cliff and I pushed myself forward. I realized too late that I had no idea how to land so I just tucked my wings next to my body and crashed to the earth.

It hurt badly but at least I was safe. A few horrified gasps made me look up. My parents' jaws were open but it was the other family's reaction that scared me the most. They slowly backed away and Fushichou was hiding behind his mother. Hiroshi had even started to pull out a kunai knife from his holster. He regained his composure and rounded on my father.

"How on earth is your child a Tatsuha?! Wait, unless-" he looked at mother menacingly and father stepped in front of her in a protective manner.

"So what if they are Tatsuhas?" my father demanded angrily.

"You have dishonoured the clan Honoo. Your whole family shall pay," Hiroshi threatened and then he, Ai and Fushichou fled into the forest.

My eyes filled with tears as I could not comprehend what had just happened.

"Take care of Reicheru. I'll meet you at the hideout," father said quietly.

Mother nodded and then father bounded into the trees. I watched him go with blurred vision. Why was he abandoning us?

I shook my head and gasped, trying desperately to regain composure. It worked and my consciousness returned to my real body. Kakashi had his hand on my shoulder and he stared at me worriedly as I trembled.

In order for Kakashi to be able to see my younger form fall off the cliff I'd had to use my memory instead of my mother's which caused me to relive it.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi's eyes searched mine.

I looked up at him but was unable to answer. The trembling worsened and I fell to my knees. I gasped for air as Kakashi started to panic from my reaction. I sat still for a minute, trying to control the shaking. A few seconds passed and I finally succeeded. I wobbled to my feet and Kakashi lent me a hand. I rested on his shoulder, unable to hold myself up completely.

"Sorry, that's what happens when I have to use my own memories that are too painful. The Mangekyou is also using a lot of chakra and making the pain worse," I admitted and Kakashi nodded, making sure that I had enough support.

We refocused our attention back on the white, red and yellow dragon that lay crumpled on the ground. Bara had approached her daughter with a pitying expression.

"Can you transform back into your human form?" Bara asked calmly, looking her daughter in her giant left eye.

"I-I don't know how," the dragon spluttered.

"Just picture yourself as a human and distribute your chakra evenly throughout your body," Bara gently placed her hand on the dragon's snout.

The dragon closed her eyes and tried to follow her mother's instructions. It took a few minutes, in which Bara glanced around nervously, but the younger me was finally able to shift back to her three year old, human body. I watched myself sit there in a crumpled ball, face against the grass so that my mother couldn't see her terrified expression.

"Reicheru, are you alright?" my mother asked anxiously.

"No," the small voice was muffled by the grass.

"Reicheru, look at me please," Bara requested but her daughter did not raise her head.

Slightly frustrated, Bara tucked her forefinger under her daughter's chin and forced her to look up.

"What's wrong with your right eye?!" Bara gasped and her daughter clamped her hand over it.

"I felt a pain in it earlier," the younger me admitted.

Bara peeled the small hand away from her daughter's face and peered at her eye.

"You have Sharingan too! Why is it in only one eye though?" the little girl stared confusedly at her mother. "Try and get rid of it too. Just think about what your normal eye looked like," Bara explained.

My past self closed her eyes and obviously strained to picture her eye and make it return to normal. She opened them once again, thinking that it had worked.

"Why isn't your eye back to normal? Are you sure you pictured your normal blue eyes?" Bara asked franticly and her child nodded. "I don't understand why it isn't working… We'll figure it out later. Right now we need to get you to safety before the mob comes after us," Bara said quickly and scooping her child up into her arms, she dashed into the forest.

Kakashi and I took off after them, awkwardly since I still needed assistance. Desperate to catch up, Kakashi swept my legs out from under me and tucked me into his chest. We caught up in an instant once Kakashi was able to run full speed.

There was complete silence in the forest as Bara ran deeper and deeper into it. The younger me was petrified and couldn't find any voice to speak with for a little while.

"Am I a monster?" she finally asked her mother.

"No honey, you're a dragon, just like me," Bara's smile was sad as she looked down upon her frightened child.

"Did I scare daddy away?" she asked.

"Of course not! What made you think you had?" Bara was shocked; her husband would never abandon his precious loved ones.

"He left right after he saw me change into a monster," Bara winced when her daughter said '_monster_'.

"No honey, he just went home to get some of our belonging so he could bring them to our new house," Bara explained quietly.

"Why are we moving?" my former self asked quietly.

"Well, because the other Uchihas don't really like dragons like you and me. In order to keep us safe, we need to move," Bara gave the vaguest answer she possibly could. "It'll also be safer for us if you don't transform again. Promise me that you won't transform again," my mother's eyes pleaded with her daughter's.

"I promise."

My younger self was silent for a long time, replaying my mother's words through her head over and over again. After awhile she fell into a restless sleep and Bara let a sigh escape her lips as she continued to race towards the safe house.

"When did your parents make a hideout? It's miles away from Konoha," Kakashi asked me as we fled behind my mother.

"My father would spend a little time working on it when he came back from missions. He made it in case something like this happened," I gestured towards the sleeping body my mother carried.

We kept on running for such a long time that Kakashi began to pant heavily. Finally, the trees cleared and Bara came to a sudden halt. Standing before us, was a small, rectangular house. It wasn't nearly as spectacular as the Uchiha house but it looked sturdy enough to withstand the elements.

The sudden stop had woken the younger me and she raised her tiny head and her eyes widened when they saw the house.

"What is that mama?" she asked quietly, gazing up at Bara.

"That's our new home," Bara whispered back as she approached the door.

She held her child in one hand while making half hand signs with her free hand and tapped them against the door at different intervals. Bara tried the handle and the door swung open, making a slight creaking sound as it did so. She hesitantly stepped into the dark house and Kakashi and I did the same. I heard Bara fumbling against the wall in search of the light switch, which she eventually found.

The house was basically one open room which consisted of a living room and a tiny kitchen in the front right hand corner. The living room was furnished with a simple coffee table and enough cushions for it to be comfy for a small family. The kitchen however was so tiny that only Bara would be able to fit in it and the appliances looked fairly old fashioned but at least functional.

Bara placed the younger me on the floor and locked the door behind her. The younger me wandered around the room and then turned to face her mother with a questioning gaze.

"Where are the bedrooms?" she cocked her head slightly as she asked the question.

"I don't know; you'll have to ask your father when he arrives. We may have to sleep on these pillows," Bara said as she plopped herself on one.

Her daughter pouted as this was not her idea of a house and Bara was not any happier. The younger me walked over to my mother and cuddled beside her. Bara sighed and ran her fingers through her daughter's hair in a soothing manner. The two soon fell asleep and were snoring contentedly on the cushions.

I fast forwarded the memory a couple of hours as the two slept and my father had not yet arrived. I stopped just before a knock came at the door. Bara leapt to her feet and, shielding my younger self from view, she pulled a kunai knife from her thigh holster.

"Who's there?" she called towards the door and her child clung to her skirt.

"It's me Bara! Open the door, this stuff is heavy," Honoo complained and something scratched at the door.

"Are you being followed?" Bara asked, approaching the door.

"No, and I hid any traces of the path me made. We should be safe," Honoo assured her.

My mother closed her eyes and reaching out with her senses, she made sure that it was really Honoo outside. She heaved a sigh of relief and unlocked the door. Bara pulled it open to reveal my father, laden with a backpack and a few large duffle bags. Kunai and White Fang raced into the living room and began sniffing their new surroundings.

"How much stuff did you grab?" Bara asked, securing the door behind her husband.

"Enough to let us live comfortably and continue our daughter's education," Honoo said as he set down the bags; Bara rolled her eyes.

"Don't you think we should focus on getting out of Fire Country?" Bara eyed the bags that told her they were going to stay for a long time.

"Exactly where do you propose we go? It's still a long way to the border and obviously we can't go to Grass Country or the Earth Country. That leaves Wind Country which at the present we are not on good terms because of the war. There is absolutely no place to flee to!" Bara winced at her husband's harsh tone.

"Why don't we escape to a lesser country or Water Country or even Lightning Country?" Bara asked, desperate to find some alternative to the shack they were now to call home.

"The lesser countries are too easy for the Uchihas to infiltrate and find us. Plus they are all too close to the border. For Water Country we'd have to go east from here for a long time before we hit water which would take even longer to get across; giving ninja plenty of time to find us. By heading towards Lightning Country we'd have to head back towards Konoha and then up through smaller countries until we got there. Even if we were able to get inside a new country, don't you think they'd inquire as to why we went there? I don't think they'd be pleased to learn that the surviving Tatsuha clan was hiding in their land. You'd have ninja from all over trying to capture you or worse starting a war with each other in order to capture and kill you because they're afraid that whatever country has you will become almighty!" Honoo explained, slightly frustrated.

"You're over thinking this," Bara retorted, crossing her arms.

"You're not thinking enough!" Honoo exclaimed and Bara put her finger to her lips as she realized that their daughter was listening to every word they said.

The younger me cowered on the cushion, obviously thinking that this was all her fault. White Fang trotted up to her and licked her cheek in an effort to comfort her. The three year old smiled weakly and patted the pup's head.

"What happened to your brothers and sisters?" she exclaimed worriedly.

"They had to learn to live on their own," Kunai responded from Bara's feet and White Fang nodded.

"They'll be fine; they're wild and strong," White Fang wagged his tail reassuringly.

Kakashi disguised a laugh with a cough at the sound of White Fang's tiny voice. He'd heard it once before and hadn't reacted but the young wolf's voice had taken on a higher pitch after all the running he had done. I ignored him and kept my gaze on the family before me.

Honoo reached in the bags and pulled out some non-perishable food items, blankets, pillows, clothes, everyone's toiletries, extra weapons, some of my younger self's stuffed animals and all the books from her room. Honoo handed all of the items to their owners and the younger me squealed as she flipped through her books to make sure they were all there.

"Now we can train White Fang!" she cried and Bara sighed and looked at Honoo who pretended not to see her gaze.

"Right now we should focus on getting you to sleep. You've had a trying day," Bara said as she piled a bunch of cushions together and then handed her daughter a blanket.

"What are you doing?" Honoo asked, trying to cover the smile that was creeping across his features.

"Making a bed, what does it look like?" Bara sniffed and straightened as her husband chuckled.

Honoo walked behind the living room area to where a rug was sitting in the middle of an empty space. My father kicked it out of the way and pulled on a small handle tucked into the floorboards. A trap door lifted and Honoo smirked and stood beside the hole in the floor.

"Our beds are down here. Did you honestly think that I would make you sleep on a cushion?" Honoo scowled jokingly at Bara who walked up to him and kissed him.

"Yes, but I guess you're still going to make us pee in the bushes?" Bara smirked at my father.

"Um, yeah, I didn't have time to make a bathroom, sorry," Honoo rubbed the back of his neck.

The younger me ran past them, blanket in hand and entered the underground room. Kakashi and I followed her down the stairs into the cool air. The room was smaller than the whole house and consisted of two beds, one for her and a bigger one for her parents. There was a light attached to the top of the ceiling that lit the room.

"Hop into bed, little one," Bara said as she descended the stairs and the younger me complied.

White Fang leapt onto the foot of the tiny bed and twirled until he found a comfortable spot. The younger me snuggled down under the sheets and Bara sat herself on the edge as she looked at her daughter lovingly. Honoo was moving about upstairs, putting stuff away and Bara closed her eyes in thought.

Honoo and Kunai came down the steps and Honoo's slightly shocked expression showed that he'd just realized that his daughter had the Sharingan. He was silent about it however as he stood behind his wife and placed his hands on her shoulders. Bara sighed and placed a hand over top of his. Bara made some quick hand signs and music began to play.

"Goodnight Reicheru, you're safe now," my mother whispered as her Genjutsu music continued and her daughters eyes slowly closed to the soothing rhythm.

My parents waited until the music had finished playing and then Bara rose from the bed, the movement of the mattress did not wake the sleeping girl.

"When did she get the Sharingan?" Honoo asked quietly as he slid his arms around my mother's waist.

"At the same time that she transformed into a dragon," Bara replied, burying her head in Honoo's chest.

"I can't believe I didn't notice it when I first walked in…"

"You had other things on your mind," Bara's arms tightened around Honoo's waist.

I made a couple of quick hand signs and sped up my mother's memories. This next one was going to be the last and the most upsetting. I'd have to use my own memories for most of it which would make it excruciatingly painful.

"How far forward are we going this time?" Kakashi asked cautiously.

"One year. In that time no one found us and we lived off the resources in the forest. My mother taught me all about the history of our people and helped me understand how to fly without making me transform. My father trained with me everyday and helped me learn new Jutsus and taught me how to use my Sharingan," I explained and I moved ourselves outside of the house and stopped the memory.

"Then how did you get your Mangekyou all the way out here?" Kakashi asked, scanning the forest around the house.

"You'll see," I said solemnly and Kakashi heaved a sigh.

It was getting late and the sky was threatening to open up and rain. Bara was outside cleaning up the yard with Kunai. A rustling in the trees frightened them but they settled as they heard the laughter and happy barks of White Fang and the younger me.

The two pals emerged from the forest and raced towards the house; the first part of my nightmares I realized. I cringed as I remembered the dreams that haunted me after every transformation. They weren't exactly accurate but they terrified me all the same.

Kakashi stared at me strangely as I cringed at this happy sight. I didn't look at him as I got a hold of myself and I could see he was growing frustrated with my lack of acknowledgement. We followed my younger self as she approached Bara and Kunai.

"I thought your father was with you," Bara was both enraged and alarmed by the fact that her daughter had been left alone.

"He was but then he said we should go home because he had to check on something," the younger me shrugged her shoulders and White Fang stared at his mother who was eyeing him with a stern gaze.

"Maybe we should go inside then," Bara glanced around them quickly and ushered her child and the two canines inside.

Kakashi and I followed and ended up having to walk through the door. The house hadn't changed much in the past year; a few extra furnishings made by hand had been added. Bara and the younger me had already crossed to the opposite side of the room and were attempting to remove the rug when an anxious knock sounded at the door.

Bara froze and reached out with her senses and gasped when she realized it was Honoo. She rushed towards the door and pulled it open quickly. Her husband rushed inside and slammed the door shut, putting all the locks on it. Honoo panted and turned to his wife with frightened Sharingan eyes.

"What's wrong?!" Bara exclaimed, taking a step back.

"There are some ninja in the forest and the only explanation I can think of is that they're searching for us!" Honoo glanced around the room quickly and his eyes rested on his frightened daughter's. "Get downstairs, I think they might've seen me," Honoo said quickly, pushing his wife towards the back of the house.

Kakashi and I stood in the living room and watched as Honoo heaved the trap door open. The wolves and my younger self rushed down. Bara stopped halfway and stared up at her husband. There was a loud banging at the door that startled them. They glanced at each other and then the knocking at the door became louder. Honoo took a step towards the door and then froze, assuming a protective position in front of the trap door.

"Who is it?" Bara whispered.

"Uchihas," Honoo spat. "Stay down there with Reicheru. I'll take care of them while you escape through the passageway," my father ordered, pulling a kunai from his thigh holster.

"I'm not leaving you!" Bara's desperate cry was followed by a loud crack as the door began to buckle.

My mother climbed out of the stairwell and slammed the trap door shut just as the front door flew off its hinges. The trap door lifted slightly so that the younger me could see what was going on. Honoo stepped forward and watched as four tall figures and one smaller one, shifted uncomfortably at the entrance to the house.

"It's been awhile otouto," a sly voice came from the dark figure at the head of the group.

"Taro, what do you want?!" Honoo demanded.

"Don't play dumb little brother! We haven't been searching for you for over a year for nothing! You know the Tatsuha clan is our enemy and on top of that you married one! Plus, if other countries find out about this they'll start a war just so they can kill them so that our military forces aren't uneven!" my father's brother advanced a step further into the house.

"So you've assembled an army because you're to chicken to face me yourself?" Honoo spat at his older brother who winced, proving Honoo's statement.

"Hmm, you've probably met everyone here. Toshiro, Akio, Hiroshi, his son Fushichou and of course myself," Taro smirked.

"How romantic, you're going to have Fushichou kill Reicheru. What irony!" Honoo glowered at him.

"We thought it only fitting," Hiroshi piped up from the back but immediately regretted it as Honoo glowered at him.

"Cowards! If you want to kill them then you'll have to kill me first!" Honoo raised his kunai knife and Bara pulled out one of her own.

"Come now brother, I have no desire to shed your blood. You can step outside while we finish off your wife and child or you can join us," as Taro spoke, Honoo's whole body began to shake with rage.

"I would never do that you bas-" Bara placed a hand on Honoo's shoulder to silence him.

"Fine, then you will die with them," Taro said, unsheathing a Ninjaken.

The other Uchihas behind him unsheathed their own weapons. Honoo ground his teeth together and a small whimper escaped the muzzle of White Fang who was watching the scene next to my younger self. Kakashi and I took a step back so that we weren't in the way. Honoo crouched and waited for his clan members to make the first move.

All four grown men leapt at once; two went for Honoo and the other two went for Bara and the younger me. Suddenly, Kunai pushed the trap door open and leapt at Hiroshi who was coming for the little girl. Bara attacked Akio and was able to leave a long gash on his right arm. Honoo was doing well with defending himself against Taro and Toshiro but he was unable to send any blows back.

There was a terrible cut off scream as Kunai ripped out Hiroshi's throat. His body fell to the floor right in front of my younger self, giving her an excellent view of the blood that seeped out of the gaping hole. She let out a scream and buried her face in White Fang's fur.

Bara got distracted by her daughter's scream and received a small cut on her upper arm. She grimaced and then kicked Akio's legs out from under him and delivered a punch, strengthened by chakra, into his chest. He wheezed, trying to regain some oxygen but his broken ribs were a painful hindrance. Since Akio couldn't move, Bara took a minute to catch her breath and watched with fear as Honoo continued his dance of death with Taro and Toshiro.

They kept jabbing at him with their blades but thanks to his Sharingan, Honoo could avoid them easily. However, he seemed to be growing tired since he'd wasted energy running here in the first place. Bara had finally got her wind and rushed at Toshiro's back when suddenly Honoo let out a cry.

Taro had somehow managed to stab a kunai through Honoo's right arm, rendering it useless. This injury gave Toshiro enough time to run his sword through Honoo's back, on the left so that it pierced his heart as well. Bara and her husband let out a terrifying scream as Honoo crumpled to the floor, clutching at the blade that protruded from his chest.

I began to tremble as I watched my father fall. Bara was clutching at her own heart and she too fell to the floor as if it had been she who had been stabbed. The younger me cried out as she saw her parents fall. She leapt out of her hiding place and glared at the men, White Fang by her side.

"How dare you!" she pointed at Taro and Toshiro as she quivered with rage.

"How cute… Are you going to avenge your parents' deaths now?" Akio taunted as he managed to raise himself from the floor but gasped in pain.

Bara let out a faint cry as she tried to stand but was unsuccessful. She fought to keep her eyelids open but was obviously losing out on that fight.

I fell to my knees as the shaking became unbearable. I had to use my own memories now for the one before us was beginning to fade. Kakashi looked at me worriedly but before he could say anything I was reliving the worst part of my past.

I glared at the men who had murdered my parents, although, I could not understand why my mother had fallen when she was barely injured. I felt the anger boil in me as the man taunted me and I turned towards him.

"You will die first," I threatened Akio acidly and I couldn't control the transformation that was coming.

My anger made me grow so huge that the walls around us burst into a million fragments. I glared with slits for eyes at the Uchihas who stared at me in wonder and fear.

"_Kill, don't deserve to live_," the angry dragon in my head hissed.

I lunged at Akio and grasped him in my claws but avoided hitting my mother. He screamed as my talons dug into his sides and I dropped him hastily back to the ground. Before he could scream again I blew a giant stream of flame that enveloped him and scorched the floor. The shriek he produced from being burnt alive made the other two men shiver.

I turned my attention to them and they started to back away. I wrapped my tail around Toshiro and began to hit him against the hard ground. When he was unconscious I flung him into the air. The blade emerged from my tail on its own accord and as his body came back to earth, I skewered it like a shish kabob. He did not let out a scream to my joy and I flicked my tail to remove the corpse.

Taro watched as Toshiro's body flew into the trees but was rooted to the spot when I started to approach him.

"The Tatsuha clan is not something you take lightly," I hissed, showing my razor sharp teeth.

"_His death will be slow and painful_," the instinct driven monster inside of me whispered.

Taro finally found that he could move and whirled around and tried to make it into the trees. I leapt up high and crashed down on top of him, my claws digging into his back. The sound of bones crushing was music to my ears as Taro screamed. I pulled away from him and flipped him over with my tail, which cut his side deeply.

"Mercy!" he called up to me.

I sniggered and severed his neck; not so much that he died instantly but that he would within a few minutes of agonizing torture. I watched as he bled and my eyes lost their angry slits and the angry monster inside of me disappeared into the recesses of my brain.

I shied away from the body as I realized what I'd done. I was a monster! I let go of the transformation as I walked back to my mother. My Sharingan told me that she wasn't dead yet but it was too late for my father. I approached my mother's body and the tears began to fall.

"Mom? Get up! You're not hurt…" I whispered, tugging at her hand.

She opened her eyes slightly but her pupils barely focused on me.

"Behind you," she croaked but it was too late.

I yelled in pain as a kunai knife embedded itself in my upper left arm. I yanked it out, and holding it in my right hand, I whirled around to face Fushichou who was just appearing out of thin air.

"I learned a new Jutsu… thought you'd like to see it," Fushichou lowered his gaze as he pulled out another kunai knife.

"I've already learned that one," I stated and the boy glared.

"I don't believe we got to finish our mock fight the last time we met," he implied raising his weapon.

"Nope," I smirked sadly; I had to kill the boy I loved.

We rushed at each other and our kunai rang upon impact. He was strong but I had become stronger since the last time we'd met. I forced him back a step but he tripped me. I fell and landed on my butt as he towered above me, kunai pointed at my heart.

"Goodbye, my friend and love," he whispered and thrust his knife towards me.

I avoided it just in time and shoved my own knife into his heart. His eyes glazed over as he stared at me; blood pouring from his mouth.

"It hurts…" he croaked.

"Not nearly as much as it hurts to kill the one you love," I whispered as fresh tears started to pour down my own cheeks.

I withdrew the kunai knife and Fushichou's body fell heavily to the ground. I shivered, stood and backed up slowly but ended up tripping over my own feet instead. I landed on my butt and dropped the knife. There was a sudden pang in my right eye and I touched it with my hand and kept it covered. It was almost identical to the same pain I'd felt in it a year earlier and I wondered what had happened to it now.

"Reicheru…" my mother croaked and I crawled to her side.

"I'm here mother," the tears continued to fall as she reached up to brush them from my face.

"I'm sorry… I could've protected you better…" she whispered heavily.

"You can't die! You're not even hurt!" I exclaimed as my mother's words hinted towards the end.

"I know but…"

"But what?!" I demanded, frustrated with her for being so weak.

"I never told you about a Dragon Kiss…" she murmured. "It's a special kiss that only our clan can give. When you give it to someone it is a sign of pure love… The kiss involves giving a part of your soul to the person you love. By doing so you ensure that when the one you love dies you will die too; it will ensure that you'll always be together. It doesn't work the other way around if your partner isn't from the Tatsuha clan though… I gave one to your father and now I realize that that was a mistake because it leaves you all alone…" my mother coughed and she grasped my hand.

"But…I…" I stammered; I was losing her.

"Don't be afraid to love someone just because you're afraid of losing them," Bara choked out as I turned my head to look at Fushichou's body.

How could I ever love anyone after I'd seen what they would do to me when they realized what I really was?

I removed my hand from my eye now that the pain had subsided and gazed down at my mother.

"Oh my… your eye…it's changed… I believe your father would call it the Mangekyou Sharingan…" she rasped.

"What?!" I exclaimed, wishing that my eye was just a normal eye and I felt a weird movement in.

"There, it's back to normal Sharingan… Same as what you did before when we tried to get your blue eye back," my mother began to cough. "Move a little closer… I have something I want to give you," I leaned forward and she pressed a cold finger to my forehead.

I felt her chakra leak into my head and suddenly I saw things that I'd never seen before. Dragons, stone walls and the park outside the Uchiha District were the most recurring images that I saw and I realized that my mother was giving me her memories. She dropped her hand and gave me a faint smile.

"I'm so sorry honey… Take care of White Fang and watch out for yourself…" my mother squeezed my hand as her eyes closed.

Eventually her breathing ceased and her hand went limp. Kunai approached us and let out a long mournful howl before disappearing into the forest. White Fang watched his mother go but stayed by my side. The tears became a river as they fell to the ground. Suddenly, the sky crackled and rain began to fall, soaking through my clothes and leaving me feeling cold and empty.

I sat in the ruined house, surrounded by gory bodies and stared at the hands that had done it all. I tried to calm myself by humming the tune that my mother had played for me our first night here but it didn't work. I stood shakily and as I stared at my mother's corpse, something inside me snapped. I hated her!

"What a stupid idea, giving your soul away! What point is there in living if I don't even have parents to love?! You've left me all alone just to show dad that you love him more than me!" I cried and yanked on my hair as I stormed around the remnants of the house.

White Fang lowered his ears and tucked his tail under his belly in fear at my sudden outburst at the body. I seemed to be going crazy and indeed I was.

"Come Reicheru, it'll be okay," White Fang tried to reassure me but his smile was fake.

"No! Your mom is gone too because of my mother!" I shouted at him and he whimpered.

I looked around madly for the kunai knife I'd dropped earlier and found it. I picked it up and resolved what I was going to do; a painful death, just like my parents had had. I brought the knife to the top of my left wrist and started tracing thin lines on top of it. I yelped as it stung and blood started to seep out of the lines. I flipped my hand over to reveal the side with the veins. I knew that a deep enough gash would sever the vein enough to allow me to bleed to death. I gulped and started making deeper cuts but I was too scared to actually cut the vein that would end my life. I pulled the knife away and hesitated, my whole lower arm stung and hurt to move.

"NO!" a gruff voice exclaimed from behind me.

I turned quickly and another kunai whizzed through the air and knocked the one I held out of my grip. I stared in horror as the Third Hokage approached me, wearing his battle gear.

"Stay back!" I warned as I took a step away from him and White Fang growled beside me.

"I'm not going to hurt you child. I wanted to stop this attack when news of your family reached me…but it seems I'm too late," the Hokage looked at me with sad and wary eyes. "Here, let me stop the bleeding," he took another step towards me and pulled a role of bandage tape out of his thigh holster.

I froze as he approached but allowed him to wrap my arm. He had to envelop my arm with a second layer since I was bleeding so profusely. I realized that he really wasn't going to hurt me so I relaxed a bit.

"Come with me child, I think I have a place for you back in the village."

"…Okay," I accepted cautiously. "Hold on a second though," I said bowing to him; tears still trickling down my face.

I rushed into the underground room and grabbed the couple of books my mother had on Healing Jutsu and my favourite stuffed animal. I brought my few belongings upstairs and into the rain. The Hokage led me into the forest, White Fang by my side. I looked back over my shoulder at the destruction and family I had left behind. I wept as I trailed the Hokage through the forest.

I returned to my normal age and body, shivering and whimpering. I looked down at my hands and realized that the ground underneath them was grey. I stood slowly and the world around me was the same colour grey; my memory was over.

I turned to look at Kakashi who stood beside me, staring at me with emotionless eyes. His gaze shifted towards the bandages on my left arm and I sighed and removed them slowly to reveal the thick, pinkish white scars. Kakashi took a harsh intake of breath but I didn't pay any attention to the sound as the grey world started to spin and lose focus before my eyes.

"Kai," I whispered, making the hand sign that released us from the Jutsu.


	12. Chapter 11

Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto and the rest are mine

* * *

Chapter XI: The Akatsuki's Plan

Chapter XI: The Akatsuki's Plan

I knelt on my bed, dazed as I watched my room spin around me. The Mangekyou had taken a lot more energy than I had thought possible, not to mention the excess pain I'd gone through.

I was barely able to focus on Kakashi's face as he sat beside me; I wanted to see if his expression had changed. His lips were a grim line and his eyes showed fear and hatred as they glared back at me. He screwed his left eye shut to cover his Sharingan, obviously blaming me for the small loss of chakra he felt.

A wave of fatigue and nausea swept over me and I swayed and fell sideways towards my pillow. I thought that Kakashi might reach out and try to catch me but he just continued to stare as I fell. I glanced up at his eyes as he made no movement or sound to comfort me. I closed my eyes, sunk into my soft pillow and let my emotions sink in. The bed lifted slightly as Kakashi stood and I heard his footsteps fade as he left my room.

"Where is he going?" both Pakkun and White Fang asked.

I made no effort to answer and the two of them chased after Kakashi. I heard the front door slam shut as he left the house and I rolled onto my back to stare up at the ceiling. The spinning had stopped but I still felt awfully tired and nauseated.

"Hey Kakashi, where are you going?" Pakkun cried.

"We're leaving," I heard Kakashi say and I realized that my window was open and that the sun was in almost the exact same position it had been when I'd first started the Jutsu.

"What?! She tells you every painful, little detail of her life and you're leaving!" I'd never heard White Fang so angry before.

"Yeah," was Kakashi's sole reply.

"You ass hole! What's the problem?" White Fang growled dangerously.

"She's dangerous! She's a threat to the whole village and me as long as I'm with her! If she stays she'll start a war or she'll lose control and kill someone!" Kakashi yelled back at White Fang and I heard Pakkun mutter something about lowering their voices.

"So you're abandoning her because she's a dragon? She has better control over that form and its instincts than you know!" White Fang countered.

"Oh yeah? Look what happened in the clearing with Midori! She almost turned on me near the end!" Kakashi shot back.

I had regained control when I'd turned towards Kakashi back in the clearing with Midori but it was his view on things that mattered, not mine. White Fang was silent and I held my breath, waiting for his next sentence in my defence.

"I thought you were different… You were definitely the remedy she needed for her broken heart but I guess all those years of friendship mean nothing to you," White Fang snapped.

"A shinobi shouldn't show emotions and should put missions before his comrades' wellbeing," Kakashi recited in the emotionless voice he had adopted after his father's death.

"Don't ever show your face around here again or I'll _kill_ you!" White Fang snarled at the stubborn teenager.

The hurt and abandonment began to sink in as I heard White Fang shove his way through the doggy door and pad back to my bedroom. He hesitated before entering and cautiously crept up to my bed. I was careful not to look at him because I knew if I met the wolf's eyes; the tears I was holding back would spill over.

I'd known that it was better to keep my past a secret from Kakashi but in the hopes of making sure our relationship would stay intact, I'd destroyed it. He was gone and never coming back and he did have a point about me being a danger to the village...

A fresh wave of guilt and pain washed through me, escaping in a shaky sigh. I couldn't help it; I looked over at White Fang who had his head rested on the edge of my bed. His wise yellow eyes were full of pity and concern for me.

"You'll be fine without him," White Fang whispered with a sad smile.

I looked back up at the ceiling and the tears spilled over. I knew I wouldn't be alright; Kakashi had been the one thing that had kept me going in this life. The tears fell in a steady stream and I rolled over and buried my face in my pillows. For the fist time in a number of years, I cried myself to sleep…

I woke up the next day emotionally exhausted but I found that I could sit up without getting dizzy. I looked out my window, hoping to see it still broken but it wasn't. I sighed; my heart ached with loneliness but there was nothing I could do about it.

I scanned the room for White Fang but he was nowhere in sight and my senses told me that he wasn't even in the house. I sighed and heaved myself out of bed and walked into the bathroom. I was still wearing my torn ANBU uniform and my hair was a mess which somehow seemed to accentuate the dark circles under my eyes. I stared at myself for a long time in the mirror before deciding on a course of action. I brushed my hair until it lay flat and covered my Sharingan eye with my bangs. I scrubbed my teeth and then walked over to my dresser and pulled out a fresh ANBU uniform, complete with grey tank top. I strapped on my Ninjaken and thigh holster and attached my ANBU mask to my hip.

I trudged into the kitchen and shoved a couple snack bars into my equipment holster along with some extra weapons, just in case. I was deciding what else to take with me when White Fang returned from hunting. He stopped in his tracks and watched me with suspicious eyes.

"You look like you're heading out to battle," he stated and approached me.

"Really? I wasn't planning on it… I guess the uniform makes me look braver and stronger," I forced a laugh but that only caused the wolf to give me a worried look.

"Where are you going? You haven't been called out on a mission," White Fang asked as he circled around the island so he was on the same side as me.

"Out…" I said shrugging my shoulders.

"Reicheru," White Fang's voice was firm but kind.

"I'm going to go south from here and try and find the shack we used to live in," I caved and regretted doing so as White Fang's gaze became increasingly worried.

"You shouldn't be going out of the village, you know that you could get hurt," White Fang backed up a few steps so that he was blocking my path to the front door.

"So what if I do get hurt? It's not like anyone would miss me. In fact, it might alleviate some of the apprehension they feel every time I'm around," I said bitterly, thinking of Kakashi.

"Exactly, what are you planning?" White Fang raised an eyebrow at me, probably remembering my suicide attempt when I was younger.

"Don't really have a plan," I admitted truthfully; all I really wanted was to get out of the house and village.

"Then I'll come with you; it'll be safer that way," White Fang said, taking another step back towards the door.

"No you won't," I said and White Fang growled low in his throat.

"Why not?" he demanded.

"Because I want to be alone!" I shouted at him.

"Why?" he snarled back.

"Enough!" I screamed. "Rope Binding Jutsu!" I cried, making the hand signs as fast as possible.

White Fang had not time to react as ropes appeared and fastened around his muzzle and the wound around his body and legs until they attached themselves to a column next to the living room. His barks were muffled as he struggled to free himself. I walked towards him and knelt beside the struggling wolf.

"I'm sorry… I'll be gone for awhile, I don't know what I'm going to do but I'll summon you if I need you," I kissed the wolf's head and ignored his protest as I walked out the door.

I felt cruel having left him tied up like that but I knew that he'd either escape or I'd release the Jutsu when I thought I was far enough away.

I walked further away from the house and pulled on my red and white mask. I glanced back at my house and then turned to the forest before me. I leapt into the trees and bounded through them in a southern direction. It would take a couple of hours to get to the house in the forest and even then I wasn't sure if I'd be able to see its remnants. On top of that, I didn't even know why I was really going there other than the fact that I just wanted to see it again.

"Wolf Senses Jutsu," I said to myself as I made the hand signs.

My nose and ears immediately intensified. The scent of trees overwhelmed my nostrils as I heard a rabbit scuttle away as I passed overhead. The sounds of nature were of little comfort to me as I bounded through the forest and my thoughts turned to Kakashi.

A part of me had known that he would react strongly and negatively to my memories but the other part of me had thought that his love for me would've prevented him from leaving. The majority of my hopes had been on the latter but now I was suffering more than I would have thought possible. Even now it felt like my heart was being pricked with a thousand kunai knives.

I had to stop on a branch after awhile because the pain became unbearable and I gasped for breath as the tears filled my eyes. I loved Kakashi more than anything and now I was going to have to leave him and the village; everything I loved and lived for. I was facing a lifetime of loneliness and there was nothing that I could do to change that…

No, there was one thing. I could find the scroll that my mother had used to get rid of her Kekkei Genkai but that meant actually having to track down the scroll. My mother could've hidden or even burned it but since she'd transferred her memories to me, I could probably find the location easily. I'd never actually searched her memories for that information before… However, if I did find the scroll I would have to perform the Jutsu that might even kill me, so what was the point of going through all the trouble of finding it if I ended up dead?

I sighed and continued my trek through the trees. It was safer to just exile myself to the forests of Fire Country... That way I could still protect Konoha from the outside… I just wouldn't be able to set foot in it ever again, or for that matter, let anyone see me unless I was going to kill them...

A few more hours passed and I figured that I should be getting close to the old hideout. I slowed my pace slightly and scanned the forest floor for any hint of ruins. It was starting to get dark and my wolf eyes began to kick in. Thanks to them I was finally able to spot a tiny clearing that contained some deformed thing. I hopped down from the trees and landed in knee high grass. Trees had started to encroach on the destroyed house as the years had passed, making the clearing virtually non-existent. The mauled wood had broken down over the years and had been smothered with lush green moss. From the looks of it, a few smaller mammals had even called this place home for a time.

I approached the house and stepped onto the weakened wood floor that groaned in protest with every step. I realized that I stood in the living room but the cushions had long since been removed by animals while the coffee table had deteriorated and fallen down. I couldn't help but scan the area for the bodies of my parents but they too had either been carried away by animals or disposed of properly by ninja.

I walked over to where the kitchen used to be and opened a small cupboard. Inside were a couple containers of non-perishable foods such as beans and udon noodles. I stuffed them in my thigh holster in case I needed them later.

I straightened and walked to the back of the house where the trap door had been. I stepped lightly as I did not know where the hole was and could easily fall in since the whole floor in the area was covered with moss. A loud crack sounded as I placed my weight on one foot and I realized that I had just broken the trap door. I backed up, knelt and felt for the handle which I found with a little difficulty. I yanked hard on it and the door snapped off its hinges. I chucked it away from me and moved into the darkness cautiously.

Thanks to my eyes I had no problem seeing in the darkness as I descended the stone steps. I fumbled around for the light switch and found it. Luckily the light bulb still worked and I was able to see clearer. I released the Wolf Senses Jutsu as I scanned the room. It was cold and clammy even though the wood panelling was still against the walls and floor. The two beds looked old, torn and dusty as they sat, forlorn in two separate corners. I looked at my old bed and gave a half-hearted smile as I saw some of my old stuffed animals sitting there, untouched by the elements and creatures. I picked up a stuffy that resembled a horse and sat on the edge of my bed. I stared at the cold plastic eyes that told me about the loneliness and abandonment they'd felt after I'd left. They seemed to be a reflection of my own eyes and I couldn't help but let the tears fall.

I saw no point in keeping the promise I'd made myself so long ago. I wasn't as strong as I used to be anyway, so why couldn't I show my emotions? Kakashi had been the one thing that had kept me strong and reminded me why it was so important. Now he was gone, so what did it matter if I was vulnerable?

The tears fell silently as I sat there in the dim light. My stuffed animals seemed like ghosts of my past and after awhile, their empty eyes began to frighten me. I dropped the horse as I stood abruptly and wiping away the angry tears, I mounted the stairs. The cold air was refreshing as it hit my face and I took in a big gulp of it in an effort to comfort myself.

"I thought shinobi weren't supposed to cry," a voice leered behind me.

I whirled around as a few chuckles escaped the mouths of four strangers that surrounded me. They all wore black cloaks with red clouds on them that fell down to their ankles.

"W-who are you?" I stuttered as I edged my hand towards my thigh holster.

"My dear, we are the Akatsuki. I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't heard of us before," the leader, a black haired man wearing an orange swirled mask that only showed his right eye, crept closer to me.

"What do you want with me?" I sounded braver than I felt, I hadn't even sensed them approach.

"How do we know if it's the Tatsue for sure?" a man with short, spiky grey hair asked, cutting off the leader as he was about to answer my question.

"Do you sense a clone or any Jutsus, Katanahito?" the leader demanded.

"No…" Katanahito took a step back. "But Madara-"

"Madara!" I hissed under my breath as I recognized one of his two headshots in the Bingo Book.

I grew angry, this was the man who had set the Kyuubi on the village and almost killed me in the process. Kakashi had told me about Madara and the Kyuubi's conspiracy to attack the village back when I had still been in the hospital. I didn't hesitate this time as I whipped a kunai knife out of my holster. An Akatsuki with red skin and horns pulled out a giant club in response to my movement. I took a step back but kept on glaring at Madara.

"Ah, you recognize me, don't you Reicheru?" Madara sneered.

"How do you know my name?" I asked cautiously, Tatsue was the name accompanying the rumour about the dragon from Konoha.

"We've had a little spy keep tabs on you. I find snakes very reliable," Madara took a step closer to me.

I didn't quite understand what he meant and I growled and lunged at Madara but the giant red skinned man blocked my path. My lunge caused my kunai to get stuck on the edge of his wooden club. I kept my hand on it but he forced me to back up. His strength was unbelievable; I'd never encountered anyone who was so strong before.

"Move Oniyasu!" the grey haired man called and the giant red ogre leapt out of the way, ripping my kunai from my hand as he did so.

I twirled around to face Katanahito and was frozen with shock when I set eyes on him. He had sharp, metal blades protruding from his wrists and more grew from different points on his lower arms. In addition to those there were more knives emerging from between his knuckles which he pointed directly at my heart as he leapt at me. I whipped my Ninjaken out just in time to block his blades. There was an awful scratching sound as my blade skated across his as I danced away.

Katanahito only had blades on his arms, leaving plenty of skin for me to pierce. However, I had to be careful since I could only block one hand at a time, leaving his other hand free to stab at me. Katanahito lunged at me with the blades from his knuckles pointed at my chest. I expertly swung my sword around and leapt away in surprise as Katanahito let out a cry as my blade somehow managed to slash a part of his arm. He clutched the wound and glared at me.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind me and I turned just in time to block Oniyasu's club. I rolled away as the strain became too much on my weapon and straightened just in time to block another blow. This time however, my sword could not take the pressure of the club and began to bend. A whizzing sound behind me made me turn my head. I cried out and dropped my sword as a kunai knife grazed my left arm and left a deep cut. I jumped out of the way as Oniyasu swung his club towards my head. I realized too late that I'd jumped in the wrong direction. The last Akatsuki member emerged from the ground behind me.

I fumbled with the strap on my thigh holster as I tried to grab another weapon but something cold and clammy wound itself around my wrist. I glanced down to see a slimy green tail protruding from the sleeve of the hooded Akatsuki member. Something clamped down on my other arm and I cried out in pain. I looked over and realized that the source of the pain was sharp teeth from an eel head that had appeared from the other sleeve of my captor.

"Electric Shock Jutsu," a cold voice said from inside the hood.

I wanted to scream but the electricity running through my veins prevented me. The pain was unbelievable and it seemed like an eternity before the current stopped. My legs went numb beneath me and I collapsed as my legs folded under my weight. I found that I couldn't move any part of my body and my vision started to go in and out of focus.

"Well done Denatsu," Madara praised as he walked over to look at me and chuckled as I lost consciousness…

I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling for awhile before I realized that it was made of dirt. My body was sore from the shock, like someone had shaken me extremely hard and then tried to pull my limbs from my torso. Light was streaming in from the right and I turned my head slightly so I could find its source. Tall, silver bars blocked off the section I was in like a cell. The room beyond was just a long hallway of dirt with stone stairs at the far end that led up and out into the fresh air. This whole building, if you could even call it that, was built underground and tree roots burst through the walls in certain places.

I brought my attention back to the steel bars and analyzed them. They looked exceedingly sharp, so sharp in fact that even if you just touched them you'd completely sever your finger. However, I thought that if the bars only went so far into the ground that I might be able to dig under them and escape.

I sat up slowly and winced as I pulled on the wound on my left arm, causing it to bleed again. I wanted to heal it but I was already so weak that if I did I might kill myself. I was trying to find the force to stand when I heard voices drifting down the stairwell.

"Is she awake?" I heard Madara ask.

"I sense that she is," Katanahito replied.

"Well then, let's go visit her," Denatsu said slyly and their footsteps soon echoed through the hallway.

Even though I'd only heard three voices, I sensed and soon saw four people. It wasn't Oniyasu who accompanied them though; the newcomer was shorter than Madara but wore the same outfit. Madara had removed his mask for the time being but his shorter follower had not. I let loose a low growl and tried to stand, my legs were shaky and were not yet used to the weight and I fell back down. The four Akatsuki members chuckled and I glared at them and this time, prevailed in standing. I instinctively reached for a kunai knife from my thigh holster and was shocked to find that it had been removed along with the ANBU mask that had covered my face.

"You're not very smart for an ANBU are you?" mocked Katanahito; I snarled and found that I had just enough chakra to spit one dragon tooth at him.

I was thankful that I didn't have to make hand signs for only one chakra tooth. I smiled wickedly as the dagger like object sailed towards his chest. To my disappointment, something whipped out at the last second and caught the tooth. Denatsu's eel head had caught the tooth in its jaws and was receding back up his sleeve. I scowled as he handed the tooth to Madara.

"Never underestimate a dragon," Madara scolded as he analyzed the tooth.

He tucked it inside his thigh holster and looked up at me. Katanahito scowled and crossed his arms, watching his master's silent clone.

"What do you want from me?" I repeated my question from the forest while adding an acidic stare.

"You're not very patient, are you?" Madara sighed, receiving some chuckles from his minions.

"Dragons aren't known for patience," I spat back, approaching the bars but being careful not to touch them.

"Well, you were going to find out our plan anyway. You will play a key role in overtaking the Ninja World. With you at our side, we'll be even more powerful!" Madara crowed dramatically.

"I will never help you!" I shouted at them and Katanahito sneered.

"Well that's fine. Even if you don't help us we've already planned on capturing Jinchuuriki and using them as well. Since your Kekkei Genkai can't be separated from you like a demon from its human; we'll be forced to torture you until you agree to help us," there was a roar of laughter as blanket of fear washed over me.

My thoughts went from myself, to Kakashi, to Naruto who would definitely be easy to capture. The fear drained away and was replaced with pure, unadulterated hatred. A roar escaped my throat and I felt my eyes become slits as I thrust my arm through the bars. The look of fear and triumph on Madara's face was enough to notify me of my unplanned transformation. The cell I was in was big enough for my lizard body but the sword like bars, in between which I had shoved my arm, was now bleeding profusely, staining my white skin.

All of the Akatsuki members had easily missed my claws but I so badly wanted to rip them to shreds. I growled and drew my bloody arm back into my cell. I couldn't stand on all fours because my weight was too much for my freshly cut arm. I felt like a wounded and humiliated dog.

"You'll stay here until your behaviour improves," Madara said as he turned and waved at me with the back of his hand.

"These bars I created myself," Katanahito told me proudly. "They run in a complete cube under the ground around you. Escape is impossible unless you want to be in a few pieces if you succeed," he sneered and walked away.

"Guard the cage," was all Denatsu said as he too turned and walked back down the hallway and up the stairs.

I glared after the three members who had captured me but I felt my eyes lose their slits and return to one black and one Sharingan one.

"I suppose I'm not to be fed?" I asked the boy who looked exactly like Madara.

"Yes," was his sole reply but I thought his voice seemed familiar.

I snorted and turned my hindquarters towards him. I lay down and licked my wounded arm until the bleeding stopped and then placed my head on my paws. I realized that my snout was within a few meters of the bars furthest away from the little Madara. I breathed a small jet of flame at them for a few minutes, hoping that I wasn't making too much noise. I stopped the flow, thinking that it had been enough to make them melt but when I looked, the bars were already fixing themselves.

I growled quietly and realized that the boy had been watching me. I raised my head and we stared at each other for a long time. I sensed that this boy was different from the others… He didn't have the same desire to take over the world or like of mistreating people as the others and yet he felt compelled to follow these criminals' orders. I let out a huge sigh and placed my head back on my paws. I didn't see a point in wasting my energy by watching a boy I knew I could squash if I wanted too, so I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

_I was thirteen and I was meeting a few comrades for lunch in the park at the Academy. I was content sitting in my tree but even more so when Kakashi arrived early. I'd never told him how much I liked him and I was worried the he didn't feel the same way about me. I became increasingly worried when Rin and Shinsetsu arrived and I knew that she really liked Kakashi, my Kakashi. He didn't like her though which I was relieved to hear and that knowledge allowed me to relax and enjoy our lunch that Obito arrived late to. _

_Something strange had happened during lunch though. Obito and Shinsetsu had gone into the trees and were talking about me. Shinsetsu had asked Obito to get information from Kakashi regarding me and my family history. Kakashi had been reluctant to give the small amount he had had away but he had and it was his questions concerning me that frightened me the most. If he found out about my past, would he love me?_

_No he wouldn't. I was sitting on my bed with Kakashi a few years later. I'd just spilled every secret that I had kept and he had been afraid of me and he'd blamed me for being a danger to the village and to him. I loved Kakashi too much, so I'd leave the village to protect him if I had to. It wasn't my fault I was who I was. Kakashi was not a shallow person, he loved me even after he'd found out that I was a dragon… He still loved me but now he thought I was a dangerous thing to have around. I was on the same level as wild animals in his eyes. _

_I watched as Kakashi stood and left my room without a word. His cold eyes broke my heart and the tears streamed down my cheeks as I realized that I was alone once again... _

"Don't leave me…" I whispered and I woke with a start as cold tears trickled down my snout.

I raised my head and my eyes adjusted to the darkness that filtered down into my underground cell.

"Did you say, _Kakashi_?" a quiet voice asked from the shadows outside my cell.

I jumped slightly as I had forgotten that the little Madara was watching me.

"You misheard me," I said, wiping away a tear with the back of my paw.

"You said his name four times while you were sleeping," the boy persisted, approaching the bars.

"I've _never_ met anyone with that name!" I snapped, turning my back towards the boy.

"You were crying when you said it…"

I whirled around and snapped my jaws together, making a terrifying sound. My supervisor took a step backwards but did not flee.

"I could kill you right now if I wanted," I threatened the boy.

"I don't doubt that you could… but I doubt that you would," the eye hole in his mask tilted up to look me in the eye as I straightened, anger brewing inside me.

I thrust my arm through the bars and wrapped my claws around his waist and lifted him off the ground. I stifled the cry I wanted to make as the blades tore through my flesh again.

"Do you doubt now?" I asked acidly, squeezing tighter.

"Not as much," he admitted.

"Fine, then do excuse me while I kill you," I glared and gripped him harder so that my claws began to draw blood from his sides.

"Did this, Kakashi, by any chance… have grey hair, an emotionless smile, a left Sharingan eye, became Jounin at age thirteen and was in Squad 7 with Obito and Rin?" I withdrew my hand so quickly that I almost caught the boy on the bars.

I stared at him in disbelief; how could he know so much about Kakashi. Granted most of the stuff anyone could know if they'd encountered him in battle but the information about his old squad was only known in Konoha. I was pretty sure that Kakashi would've told me if he'd met an Akatsuki member on one of his missions. They were pretty unforgettable once they told you their plans.

"H-how do you know so much about Kakashi?" I stammered.

"I was in his squad…" I was so shocked that I fell backwards to sit on my butt; I lost complete control of my transformation and turned back into my human form.

I stared at the boy through my bangs. I had not seen him in at least four years…

"Obito…?" I asked, remaining where I sat in the cell, mouth open.

"Now how do you know my name?" Obito asked me, peering at me from underneath his mask. "Wait a second… Reicheru is that really you?" now it was his turn to be taken by surprise.

"Yes," I whispered breathlessly and I found the strength to stand. "How did you not know it was me from the beginning? Didn't Madara tell you who he had captured? I can't believe it, I thought you were dead!" I yammered excitedly and Obito raised his hand toward his face.

He pulled down the mask and I set eyes on his once handsome face. The eye Rin had transplanted was now replaced with a brown one but his right eye was still red. Just like mine, his right eye was stuck in Sharingan, unable to change back to normal. It wasn't his eyes that were the most shocking though, it was his skin. Half was pale Uchiha color whereas the right was a slightly darker shade, like it had been transferred from another human.

"Madara found me under the rocks and he somehow got me out from under them. My whole right side was gone though and he was able to operate and reconstruct my body with someone else's even though we didn't really match," Obito explained, running a hand down the crooked line that cut his face in two.

"But how could you work for him? Didn't you know the he wanted to take over the world?!" I demanded, shocked by his lack of loyalty.

"I did know some stuff but part of the deal of him saving me was that I would have to work for him," Obito admitted sheepishly and I realized that he looked out of place without his orange goggles. "He only told me that he was going after the Tatsue but he didn't tell me your real name when he brought you back."

There was silence for a moment as we analyzed the changes in each other.

"So what happened to you? I had no idea you were a dragon," Obito said, keeping his voice low in case the other Akatsuki members were about.

I sighed and began my long story of what had happened after his '_death_' and the truth about my past. The whole story took until twilight to tell and when I'd finished, Obito was silent.

"Kakashi's such a jerk when it comes to women," Obito stated, trying to comfort me and I smiled half-heartedly. "I think it's cool that you're an Uchiha _and_ a dragon though, not dangerous at all. We might even be related! So… what happened to Rin?" he asked reluctantly.

I stared at him and then regained composure once I remembered that he'd always liked Rin. I debated whether or not to tell the truth but my silence seemed to foreshadow my answer.

"She died on a mission she got right after the one all three of you went on," I said; grimacing as I spoke.

Obito's face showed total devastation and a few tears slid down his cheeks.

"Kakashi would probably call me a Cry Baby right about now," Obito chuckled to himself as he wiped his eyes.

"That makes two of us," I sighed and walked away from the bars.

Obito watched me carefully as I stopped and stared at the dirt wall opposite the bars. I was trying to regain my composure so that I wouldn't show Obito exactly how much I hurt every time someone said his name.

I sighed again and transformed back into my dragon form. I felt stronger and safer in it, especially when I was still in enemy territory. Besides, I was extremely tired since I'd stayed up most of the night talking.

"I'm sorry…" Obito apologized, I didn't know exactly what for.

"Me too…" I hoped that he knew I meant in regards to Rin and he nodded his head in understanding before reattaching his mask.

He leaned against the hallway wall, pretending as if we'd never spoken all night. I turned my back to him and fell asleep.

I woke the next morning and was surprised that no other Akatsuki members had come down to check on me and Obito. I raised myself from the ground and scanned the long dirt hallway for my old friend… Obito was nowhere to be seen and I began to panic. I started pacing the cell, swishing my tail back and forth in agitation. I snapped my head around to face the hallway when I heard frantic footsteps coming down the stairs. Obito rushed towards my cage and even with his mask on I knew something had upset him.

"What's-" Obito cut me off.

"The Akatsuki have decided on a plan. They're coming now to see if you'll join them and help them get the Jinchuuriki. If you refuse, they'll torture you until you agree," Obito panted as he rushed to deliver his message.

My eyes widened in fear as I heard reverberating footsteps descend the stone stairs at the end of the long hallway. I backed up so far that my giant body was squished against the dirt wall. Obito turned to face Madara and the other three Akatsuki members.

"Glad you're awake Tatsue," Madara said cheerfully with a smirk on his face.

A small growl emanated from my throat and his three minions chuckled, Obito didn't move or say anything.

"I figure Obito-kun has told you my proposition,"

"Yes, and I will repeat what I've said before; '_I will never help you_,'" I straightened and glared at the Akatsuki.

"Then you have chosen the difficult path…" Madara trailed off and he nodded his head at Denatsu.

I watched as the hooded man entered my cell through a small door in the sharp bars to which he had a key. I concealed the tip of my tail behind my back so that Denatsu would not be able to see the blade protruding from it. Denatsu approached and I tensed, waiting for the slimy eel extremities to emerge from the arm holes in his robe.

"The voltage will be higher than the first time," he warned in his cool voice.

The eel tail and head suddenly shot out of his robe and lunged for my forelegs. I swung my tail around and beheaded the eel but the tail arm secured itself around my leg. The shock wasn't nearly as bad as the first time and I realized that he needed both ends to be attached to his victim in order to create a powerful enough current. None the less, I was immobilized for a couple seconds and I listened to Denatsu's cry of pain.

The bloody stump of his hand began to bubble like there was something inside it. I watched in shock as two eel heads burst from the skin and shot towards me. I was stunned but able to swish my tail around in time to slice both of the heads off. Denatsu screeched in anger and pain and sent a slightly stronger current through my body via the tail. I snarled and flicked my tail around and cut the eel tail free from my leg. To my astonishment three eel heads grew out of the one stump and two tails out of the second.

I posed my tail, waiting for them to strike. My attention was so focused on the eel man that I did not see the long metal object flying towards me in time. Katanahito had manipulated one of the bars of my cell so that it grew a second arm which headed at my heart. I leapt out of the way as best I could but the sword pierced through the soft underside of my tail instead and thudded to a stop in the wall. I roared in pain and Denatsu saw his chance; he wrapped all five eel extremities around my legs. They constricted my movements and as I could not move my tail to protect me; the shock was unbearable. The electricity coursed through my veins for what seemed like hours. It finally stopped and I fell forward, ripping my tail as the movement yanked it free of the metal bar. Denatsu's eel heads and tails let go of my legs just before I hit the ground so that they would not get squashed.

My whole body felt like someone had tried to pull it apart and my tail hurt worse of all. I wanted to roar in pain but my jaw would not open. I looked up with blurry vision at the Akatsuki members as they left my cell. Oniyasu entered as Denatsu left and he approached me with his giant club raised. I wanted to roll out of the way but my legs would not obey me. I was helpless as he brought down his club on my head and the pain shuddered through my skull. Before I lost consciousness I heard Madara speaking.

"Maybe that will teach you to listen! Obito, guard the cell; we're going on a hunt for supplies before we infiltrate Konoha and steal the Jinchuuriki. We'll be back in a couple days… Maybe by then our dragon will agree to help us," their laughter died away as they went back down the hallway and I lost consciousness…

When I finally opened my eyes it was dark inside the underground cell. I tried to raise my head but barely succeeded seeing as how it felt so heavy. It took me a minute to remember where I was and what had happened; the whack to the head had done more damage than I'd thought. My eyes searched in vain for Obito and I found him slouched against the wall, watching me.

"Thank the Hokage, you're alright!" Obito exclaimed and he removed his mask as he approached the sharp bars.

"Do I look alright to you?" I groaned and managed to sit up.

I felt something wet and sticky in between my claws and realized that blood from my tail had somehow gotten there. I had enough chakra to heal myself but I'd have to transform back into my human form to be able to make the hand signs. I pictured my human body and was able to change back with a little discomfort. My injuries, however, still existed and seeing as how, as a human, I had no tail, the wound was transferred to my lower back. It was still bleeding and I pressed my hand on it and began the Jutsu. Obito watched in amazement as I continued to heal the old wound on my arm and my head where I realized that my skull had been fractured slightly from Oniyasu's club. I finished with healing the small puncture marks made by Denatsu's eel heads on my arms and legs.

I stared back at Obito, slightly dazed from the use of chakra. His gaze radiated pity but changed with different emotions as he had an internal battle with himself.

"We need to get you out of here," he finally blurted, looking down at his feet.

"How? If you let me out they'll figure it out and kill you and then come and find me!" my mind raced as I tried to find all the flaws with his plan.

"Then we'll just have to kill them first. We can't let them continue to torture you. You'll die before you agree to help them and you're better off back at the village, protecting the Kyuubi," Obito reasoned and gave me a childish grin. "Besides, we need to get you back to Kakashi," I grimaced as he added the last part.

"Yeah… So what's the plan?" I asked making an effort to stand but failing miserably.

"Well, the others should be back late in the afternoon tomorrow. I'll let you out and we'll stage an act so that it looks like you escaped and I'm trying to stop you. Then when the other Akatsuki members arrive I'll turn on them and we can head back to Konoha together," Obito smiled at his brilliance.

"I guess that could work…" I muttered, growing tired with each passing second.

"Restore your energy. We need you to be in top form if we're going to get out of here alive," Obito added over his shoulder as he walked back to the wall and slid to the ground.

I sat there for a moment and figured that there was no point in changing back into a dragon; not that I even had the energy to visualize myself in that form. I lay down on my back in the dirt and rolled into a ball to keep warm. It wasn't until that moment that I realized just how hungry and thirsty I was and I figured that was why I felt so weak. I closed my eyes and Kakashi's face danced through my head…

I woke the next day and looked around for Obito. He was gone yet again and I didn't panic until I realized that the amount of light creeping in meant that it was somewhere after noon. I raised myself from the dirt, brushed myself off and made the hand signs for my Wolf Senses Jutsu. It was fairly quiet except for the chirping of birds and bugs outside. The rustling of trees was comforting but it drowned out any other sounds that I might be able to hear. Finally, footsteps were audible coming from somewhere high above my head. I waited patiently, knowing that it was Obito. He was silent as he descended the steps and approached me with some sort of bowl in his arms.

"Alright, I got the keys and I made us some ramen," he announced cheerfully.

"Great! Now get me out of here!" I exclaimed, not able to contain my excitement.

Obito opened the door; careful not to cut himself or me as I walked out.

"Now we can eat and build up some strength before we begin our elaborate play," Obito said, handing me a bowl and then sat cross legged in the dirt.

I looked longingly at the stone stairs that would lead me to freedom and fresh air, but sat down anyways. I would be out soon enough.

We formulated our plan and ran through the details a few times so as to make sure that there were no slip ups. If we did make a mistake then either one or both of us would die.

"Okay, so let's get started. I'll head up to the hideout and when you hear them coming, you jump out of here and I'll pretend to see you and fight you," Obito explained for the umpteenth time, making sure that we both knew what order the events needed to happen in.

I nodded and the two of us stood and made our way down the hallway and up the steps. Obito gave me a reassuring nod before putting on his mask and walking out of the hole.

The hole where I'd been kept had been well hidden behind a bush beside the trunk of a tree. Anyone merely passing by would have no idea that it was here. There was a tiny clearing in front of the bush and rising high behind me was the cliff with a doorway carved into it. Obito was heading up a set of stone steps that led towards the hideout as I sat in the bush. He would stay hidden until he saw my signal and then we would commence our escape.

Something landed in front of the bush and I nearly screamed. I looked up to see Obito waving apologetically from the steps above my head. I glanced down at the things that had fallen and realized that it was my thigh holster and ANBU mask; my kunai knives were there along with my scrolls and a few shuriken; the Akatsuki hadn't stolen anything. I attached my mask to my hip and my thigh holster to my leg and sat down on the stone steps, awaiting any sound that announced the Akatsuki's return.

Hours passed and still nothing had happened, but there was still time. I was beginning to doze off when, somewhere far off in the woods, I heard bushes rustling. I held very still as I waited for conformation that it was the Akatsuki and not just a deer. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing the wrong was so I could not smell the newcomer or comers. I listened attentively for a few minutes and the rustling increased and grew more frantic. There was definitely more than one person coming towards us. I stood abruptly and made as much noise as I could as I pushed through the bush in front of me. I faked an anxious expression as I emerged into the clearing.

"Stop!" Obito yelled from high above.

I pretended to be startled, which honestly I would have been if I hadn't had my Wolf Senses Jutsu working. I smirked as I looked up at the masked Obito who brandished a kunai knife in his right hand. I backed up slowly so that my back was almost against the nearest tree. The rustling was growing closer but quieter as its sources drew nearer.

Obito jumped from the cliff's edge and as he fell I worried that he might actually hurt himself. Nope, he landed in a crouched position and stood up right after like he hadn't just fallen twelve stories to the ground.

"How did you escape?" Obito demanded, pointing his kunai at my chest.

"'_Never underestimate a dragon_', I believe Madara said those exact words," I chuckled.

"Well if you won't join us then you'll have to die," Obito snarled and lunged at me.

Since I had no kunai in my hand at the moment I was defenceless and decided to transform into my dragon form. It was exactly at that moment that our '_friends_' in the bushes decided to make their move.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" a familiar voice cried as he lunged at Obito.

My eyes widened in shock as the unforgettable wild silver hair tackled Obito to the ground. A small brown blur, followed by a larger white one, landed in the clearing, backs to me so as to protect me from my so called enemy. I stared in disbelief as White Fang and Pakkun snarled at Obito who was trapped under Kakashi. Kakashi wasn't wearing his ANBU mask or his headband and the ferocity I saw in his eyes was quite alarming. Kakashi had pressed his Ninjaken against Obito's throat so that a thin line of blood was created.

"How dare you do this to her!" Kakashi exclaimed with such ferocity and devotion that I sat there confused.

What brought me out of my bewildered state was Kakashi bringing his arm holding his sword behind his head as he prepared to deliver the final blow to Obito. Without hesitation, I brought my tail around and flicked Kakashi off of him. I'd used a little too much force because Kakashi was flung into one of the tree trunks at the edge of the clearing. He slid to the ground and coughed as he tried to get some air back into his lungs.

I stared at the silver haired shinobi whose face I had longed to see for the past few days; the face that had caused me to leave the village in the first place. Why had he come to rescue me? Hadn't he been scared of me because of the monster I was, whose form I had taken at that exact moment? Throwing him into a tree had probably only proved that fact even more. Had he come here because he realized that he still loved me or had he just felt guilty knowing that he was the one who'd run me out of the village?

As hundreds of thoughts and questions ran through my head, Obito stood and the canines growled at him. I spread out my wings to shield him from any attack the dogs might attempt. Kakashi's groan transferred my attention to him and I immediately regretted hurting him.

"Why do you protect him? Are you under some sort of Genjutsu?" Kakashi asked, standing.

"No…it's Obito," I replied in a quiet and soothing voice.

Kakashi's expression was stunned and Pakkun's face reflected his owner's. White Fang became less tense but cocked his head to one side. I folded my wings against my body, revealing Obito who had used my protection as an opportunity to remove his mask. Kakashi just gaped at his old team mate's scarred face. It was much different than the old Obito's and yet the red Sharingan eye said it all.

"Long time, no see Kakashi," Obito smiled and I watched as a hundred emotions danced in Kakashi's eyes.

"Is it really you or am I under some sort of Genjutsu?" at the last part he shot a glance at me and I winced.

"Come and see for yourself," I said and Kakashi cautiously approached us.

Kakashi made the Jutsu release hand sign and nothing happened. Obito held out his hand and Kakashi touched it hesitantly. Obviously there was no Genjutsu and the two boys smiled and hugged each other, slapping the other on the back so that it was a '_manly_' hug. I couldn't help but chuckle at the overwhelming joy in the air but stopped when Obito began to explain how he'd survived the rock fall and what the Akatsuki had been planning and done to me. Kakashi's eyes grew enraged as he heard about the torture I'd been through and what the Akatsuki's purpose for stealing me was. He balled his hands into fists and avoided my gaze as the five of us stood there.

"Would you mind giving us a minute, Obito?" I asked sweetly, not taking my eyes off of Kakashi.

Obito nodded and walked off into the forest surrounding the clearing. Kakashi stared after him and I sighed and lay down, keeping my head at eye level with the boy I loved. He finally looked at me and his eyes conveyed too many emotions for me to count.

"Why'd you come? I thought you hated me," I asked and Kakashi flinched at my words.

"I could never hate you…" he whispered to his feet.

"Kakashi, I left because you were scared and loathed me! You didn't love me anymore so why did you come?!" he took a step back as I screamed at him.

"I'm sorry…"

"What?"

"I'm sorry. After you told me the truth about your past I was afraid that you might turn on me one day like you turned on Fushichou… Then I realized how dangerous you were for the village and that only made it worse. I despised having to leave you and when I got home I felt terrible for hurting you. I could never stop loving you but I was still afraid to go back and see you. I thought after what I'd done you would definitely attack me… Eventually Pakkun convinced me that I had to see you so we went back to your house," I flinched as Kakashi took a breath. "We found White Fang all tied up and once we cut the ropes he told us where you'd gone. I blamed myself for your departure and the three of us ran off to find you. By the time we tracked your scent to the house you were gone and there was blood and scents of other men around. We found your Ninjaken all bent out of shape and that got me really worried. We followed the scent of the men here but your blood made it even easier to find this place…" Kakashi's voice died off as he explained everything.

My eyes filled with tears as I stared at the shinobi. He really did still love me and he'd proven so by coming to rescue me; even if he was a little late.

"I've put you in danger, even out here," I admitted, repulsed by myself.

"No, _I _brought myself here so I can_ only_ blame myself," Kakashi's mismatched eyes smiled up at me.

I couldn't help the giant dragon tears as they slid down my cheek bones. I wanted to change back into a human and kiss him but I knew that the Akatsuki weren't that far off. I settled for nuzzling him with my snout which he hugged tightly and then he kissed the top of my nose through his black mask. Our moment was interrupted when Obito dashed into the clearing.

"The Akatsuki are coming!" he shouted franticly and I pulled away from Kakashi.

"Hide in the trees with White Fang and Pakkun but don't jump out until we start fighting them," I said while pushing him in the opposite direction that the Akatsuki were approaching.

He nodded and ran into the moss covered trees. I watched them go and waited until their rustling was quiet and then turned towards Obito. I crouched and forced the blade out of my tail.

"Ready?" I asked him.

"Ready," Obito nodded and lunged at me with his kunai knife.

I dodged easily and whacked him on the back with the soft part of my tail so that he simply fell to the ground. He stood shakily and I prepared to blow a jet of flame. Obito dashed towards me, leaping back and forth so that it was hard for me to make a direct hit. I waited until the last second and then whirled around to face the trees behind me and released the ball of fire I was holding back.

It traveled far into the forest and burnt all of the flora in its path. The Akatsuki who I had originally been aiming at jumped out of the way, deeper into the forest to avoid the blast. Obito stood beside me as I patiently waited for the other members to show themselves. I heard them creeping through the forest and I tensed, waiting to pounce on the first one that appeared.

"So you finally managed to escape? I'm not that surprised," Madara smirked as he and his minions stepped into the clearing; he wasn't wearing his mask as usual.

"Master, I-" Madara shot a nasty glare at Obito as he took a step towards him.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you helped her," the two of us winced and then immediately tensed as Madara signalled for the other Akatsuki members to prepare for battle.

"Prepare to pay for the pain you've caused my friends!" Kakashi's strong voice proclaimed from somewhere in the trees to our right.

White Fang was in a crouched position at the base of the tree while Kakashi stood proud and tall on a branch smothered in moss. The moonlight shone from behind him, illuminating his silver hair. He removed his mask and unsheathed his Ninjaken and pointed it at Madara who smirked at the ninja.

"Four against four, I like even odds; it's more fun that way. Although, I don't see how that white fur ball will be of much help to you," Madara sneered and received a few cackles from his subordinates.

"Don't diss the wolf!" I snarled at them and I obtained a few startled glances.

I knew we were seconds away from battle and I quickly scanned our enemies for the one that I least wanted my friends to fight. They were all tough in their own way but I decided to take Katanahito. He had too many blades for Kakashi or White Fang to fight and even though Obito probably knew his weakness I couldn't bare the possibility of seeing him run through with one of Katanahito's many sharp knives.

I roared and swung my tail around so that I separated Katanahito from the rest of his group. It was apparent to the others who my pick was for the battle and they leapt at their own targets. Kakashi lunged at Denatsu with his Ninjaken while White Fang leapt at Oniyasu; leaving Madara for Obito. I prayed that they would be alright as I returned my focus to my own battle.

Katanahito had forced all the blades out of his arms while I'd been distracted. He charged at me and I opened my wings and pushed off the ground in time to create enough force for me to just hover above his head. His knives missed me and he fell on his face because of his lack of balance.

I intended to land on him with my front paw and squeeze the living daylights out of him but my plan was foiled when he managed to roll over so that all of his blades pointed at the soft underside of my paw. I landed just beside him at the last moment and reared up onto my haunches as he stood.

I watched as he made a couple of hand signs and then twirled with his arms outstretched; he'd transformed into a cyclone of knives. He spun towards me and I stuck my bladed tail into the mix at the last second. A slash of pain went down the softer part of my tail as one of his blades managed to inflict a wound before my blade caused him to come to a grinding halt.

We struggled for a moment, trying to force the other back a step but of course I was winning because I was much bigger and stronger. Katanahito skidded backwards in the dirt as I took one step after the other. I exerted a little more pressure on my tail and his arms were forced away from each other, leaving a small opening.

I pushed a little harder and flicked the edge of my tail so that it left a long gash across his chest that penetrated his lungs and heart. Katanahito screamed in pain and then flopped onto his side on the ground. I stared at him for a fleeting instant; making sure that he was dead. His chest did not rise with the intake of breath and he did not stir or make a sound. I whirled around to face the rest of the clearing.

Kakashi and Obito were holding their own further away from me but it was all White Fang could do to avoid Oniyasu's club. The wolf's teeth were not sharp enough to cause much damage to the ogre's tough red skin. I watched White Fang's well choreographed dance as he avoided the club. The wolf finally landed a safe distance away from the horned beast and I saw my chance. I started to take a few steps towards them, raising my tail in preparation to strike.

"ARGH!" I screamed and cringed as something sharp dug into my shoulder and pulled down.

I whipped my head around to see Katanahito hanging onto my shoulder with one of his arm blades embedded in the deep wound he had just created. I was shocked; virtually nothing could pierce my scales… My unscaled arms had easily been pierced by his bars back in the cell but now… I figured that he had been holding out on some sort of metal strengthening or sharpening Jutsu just for an occasion such as this.

I snarled and opened my jaws with their razor sharp teeth. I sunk my tiny daggers into his body so that his head and most of his torso were in my mouth but a few of his blades cut the insides of my mouth. I bit down hard and heard the crunch of bones as a mixture of his blood and my own bathed my tongue. To my disgust, I forced myself to chew to make sure that I'd killed him and then when I sensed no aura from him, I spat the corpse into the forest.

I spat a few more times, trying to get the taste of blood from my mouth but it was a wasted effort. I looked back at my wound and realized that one of Katanahito's blades had broken off inside it. I picked it out with my claws and flung it at Oniyasu and it landed in his arm. I sneered and took a step towards the battle White Fang was fighting and cringed as I realized that the knife had pierced my muscle. My right leg was almost completely useless but I did my best to scurry closer to my wolf.

Oniyasu took a giant swing at him with his left hand that now contained the giant club since I'd rendered his right one useless. His over swing brought the club closer to my face and I opened my mouth in preparation and slammed my jaws closed as soon as I'd caught it. I forced my teeth further and further into the wood until my top and bottom teeth touched, causing the club to splinter into tiny useless fragments.

I spat them out at the horrid red skinned man and White Fang took advantage of the distraction to sink his teeth into the ogre's calf. Oniyasu squealed in pain and turned his attention to the wolf; giving me the perfect opportunity to attack. I brought my bladed tail around and lodged it into the man's heart. White Fang relinquished his grip as I engulfed Oniyasu in flames; chasing the rest of the life from him. When I stopped the flow of heat, the corpse reminded me of a pig on a spit. I shuddered away from the thought and White Fang looked at me questioningly.

"Start heading home. This fight will be over soon and we should be fine without you until then," my voice quavered slightly as I wasn't a hundred percent sure that we would be all right.

However, I couldn't stand to have all of my loved ones die here. I'd helped White Fang and now I would do my best to save Kakashi and Obito. I glanced over at their fights and realized that their strength was dwindling. A small protesting whine from White Fang received one of my famous glares and he nodded and dashed off into the forest.

"ACK!" I whirled around as Kakashi called out in pain as Denatsu managed to wrap multiple eel tails around his arm.

Fear pulsed through me as Kakashi fell to his knees as the electric current disallowed him to stand. Denatsu raised his other hand with the eel heads and they all let out a hiss as they lunged at Kakashi with their teeth bared. I pushed off of the ground and my back feet trailed low enough so that they knocked the eel man out of the way, forcing him to relinquish his grip on Kakashi. I landed and crouched in front of Kakashi, allowing him enough time to recover and stand. Denatsu made a hissing noise at me from inside his cloak and I replied with a throaty growl as Kakashi prepared to fight with me. He was close enough to my face that I could whisper to him and Denatsu wouldn't be able to hear me.

"As soon as I cut off one of his arms, cut off the other right away," Kakashi nodded; both of his eyes thanked me for the help.

I grinned and turned my attention back to Denatsu who was circling us. I could tell that Kakashi had been using his Sharingan a lot which automatically meant that this enemy was slightly more powerful than someone he normally faced on a B-rank mission. I was here to help him now though; plus I knew Denatsu's weakness. Said person continued to watch me from the cover of his hood as I stalled our attack. We would have to work together quickly in order for my plan to work.

Finally, Denatsu shot all of his eel heads and tails at us. I dodged to the side while Kakashi rolled in the opposite direction. I lost no time and took half a step towards Denatsu and swung my tail towards him. My blade sliced off his arm above where his elbow should've been and the eel heads screeched and then fell to the ground. Kakashi lost no time as Denatsu agonized over his one arm; he snuck up and cut off the other. Thankful that Kakashi was a skilled ninja; I brought my tail around and decapitated Denatsu. The hooded head rolled off into the bushes and I suppressed a sigh that showed my relief at not seeing it.

I looked back at the body and saw that the arms were still trying to grow back but at a slower pace. Kakashi acted quickly and stabbed his Ninjaken through the body's heart. He removed it quickly as the body gave an odd lurch. We both leapt away from the corpse and I decided to use my fireball enhanced with dragon teeth. I quickly built up my chakra in the pit of my stomach and forced it out, transforming half into flame and half into teeth. Dull thuds were heard as the tiny daggers embedded themselves in the flesh and the smell of it all burning was enough to make me gag; at least I knew Denatsu was dead.

I stopped the jet of flame and took a moment to catch my breath. I slowly turned my gaze on Kakashi who was still staring at the body. He had odd marks on his wrists where the eels had forced their electricity into his body. There were also multiple tooth punctures and scratch marks that covered his face, arms and legs that bled at a steady pace, but nothing too serious. He finally looked up at me and I realized that there was a slight glimmer of fear in his eyes. The hint disappeared once his eyes searched mine and found something that reassured him.

"You did all that without your dragon instincts taking over," Kakashi stated and I caught the relief in his voice.

I hadn't realized it until that moment that my eyes had not shifted into slits and the instinct part of me had not spoken or bubbled to the surface. I grinned at Kakashi; maybe this would prove that I could control myself even if I was angry.

"ARGH!" Obito screamed as Madara somehow managed to cut him across the chest with the kunai he held.

Obito was flown backwards and Madara took a menacing step towards him and unsheathed a long katana and held it in his free hand; directing it at his heart.

"This will teach you to betray your master!" Madara growled and brought his arm back, preparing to send the blade into his chest.

"NO!" Kakashi screeched and lunged towards them before I could even react.

Kakashi's sword deflected Madara's and sent it flying out of his reach. Obito gazed up at his team mate as Kakashi held his sword at Madara's neck. Madara snarled and pulled his kunai around to block Kakashi's blade. They stood facing each other but avoided the other's Sharingan gaze as they both tried to force the other's weapon away. I watched nervously as they struggled, trying to keep the other from moving. I felt useless, I couldn't do anything without hurting Kakashi or Obito. I crouched in anticipation of an opening and my Sharingan eye analyzed every movement, just as Kakashi's was.

Suddenly, Madara pulled his kunai away from Kakashi and he fell forward with the loss of a counterbalance. He was able to leap away before Madara slashed him with his knife but I gasped in horror as Kakashi accidentally looked into Madara's eyes. He screamed and I watched as he fell to the ground and began to writhe in pain. I glared at Madara and realized that he had ignited his Mangekyou Sharingan and was using the Tsukoyomi ability on my beloved Kakashi.

"No! Take me not her! ARGH! No, it's my fault!" Kakashi hollered; I knew Madara was using me in his torture.

I roared and leapt at Madara keeping the weight off of my front leg. I landed on his right and swiped at him with my paw. I made contact and sent him sprawling into the dirt. I was activating my own Mangekyou but was too slow since all Madara had to do was look at me.

Black flames engulfed me and I cried out as the fire began to eat away at my flesh and scales. It felt like I was being pierced by a thousand kunai as I writhed and roared, unable to move or dispel the Jutsu. Usually, the Amaterasu Jutsu would disintegrate anything it touched within seconds but Madara had purposely slowed its effects just for me.

I glanced around franticly and tried to make eye contact with Obito. My eyes found his and pleaded for a second before I was consumed by an enormous amount of pain and let out a terrifying roar. Obito looked at Kakashi who was squirming on the ground, fighting off invisible enemies. I watched as Obito's face changed as he seemed to come to a decision and he leapt to his feet, wincing as he tugged on the wound in his chest. He whipped out a kunai knife and with one last glance at me, he charged at Madara. Since the latter was preoccupied with his Mangekyou Jutsus he wasn't as agile and was unable to avoid Obito's attack.

His kunai knife created a deep gash that went from the top of Madara's neck down to the left of his waist; tearing the distinguishable Akatsuki uniform as it went. Madara cried out in pain and his two Jutsus were destroyed; Kakashi and I were free. I gasped and looked at my back, assessing the damage. My scales looked slightly burnt at the edges but I was still able to move.

I saw a flash of movement out of the corner of my eyes as Obito and Madara began to attack each other once again. As the two leapt away from me I noticed Kakashi twitching a few feet away. I quickly scrambled to his side and nudged him with my nose. He rolled over and opened his eyes and the pain in them disappeared when he saw my gigantic face, unharmed. He used my muzzle to balance himself as he stood and glanced around for his old team mate. Finding Obito and Madara, he grabbed his Ninjaken from where it lay on the ground and nodded towards them.

"Let's finish this," he said confidently and I nodded.

We'd barely moved when Obito yelled at us to stop. I froze and held out my arm so that Kakashi could not advance

"Quick, leave! I can handle him! You've done enough and you've helped me escape from what I thought was inescapable! I'm sorry for causing you so much grief Kakashi…" Obito apologized as he leapt around, avoiding Madara's blows.

"We're not leaving you!" Kakashi's voice cracked.

"Part of the deal was that you come with us!" I shouted at Obito, aware that Kakashi was desperately trying to get away from me.

"I have to finish this-" Obito started to say but was unable to complete his sentence as Madara made a few hand signs.

I felt the wheels click in my head; Obito was going to die in order to save us from Madara. I felt the tears spring into my eyes and Kakashi cried out as he understood too. He scrambled over my arm and dashed towards Obito. I panicked; I wasn't going to lose both of them. The hand signs I'd seen Madara make, added to his Mangekyou Sharingan would commence the Susano'o Jutsu. A giant, indestructible sword and shield would appear, assuring our deaths if we stayed.

I acted quickly and unfolded my wings and pushed off the ground, into the air. I sent the blade in my tail back to the depths of my bones and flesh. I stretched out my tail and circled it around Kakashi's waist, catching him by surprise as I pulled his feet from the ground. I sped upwards, away from the danger that threatened us all. I felt Kakashi struggle against my grip as I propelled myself higher and higher into the air.

"Let me go! We can't leave him behind!" Kakashi cried, trying to squirm out of my hold.

I heard a giant blast and dirt and parts of trees flew past us. I glanced over my shoulder to see that the giant sword had emerged from its resting place. I turned my head away just in time to avoid the sight but the blood chilling cry Obito released as he was stabbed sent a shiver down my spine.

There was no way we all could've survived if Obito hadn't intervened. I felt Kakashi's body go limp inside my tail as he watched his friend die for the second time. I brought him around to my back and released my grip so that he flopped down onto my spine. Kakashi slowly inched towards my head and wrapped his legs around the base of my neck and used some concentrated chakra so that he would stay on. He was silent as I flapped my wings faster, closing the distance between us and Konoha.

"It's not your fault… He did that so we could escape and warn the village… Obito died an honourable death…" I wanted my words to comfort him but they didn't seem to cut it, even to my ears.

"That was one part of my past that I almost had back," Kakashi muttered.

"I know…" I whispered and my words were followed by a silence that was reserved for mourning the loss of Obito for the second time.


	13. Chapter 12

naruto characters belong to masashi kishimoto... and obviously the others are mine cuz i used my creative genius and made them up... im so tired of repeating the same message...uggghh

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Chapter XII: Dragon Kiss Farewell

Chapter XII: Dragon Kiss Farewell

Night fell soon after as Kakashi and I soared through the sky, overtop the forests of the Land of Fire. A couple more hours and we would arrive at the entrance to Konoha. Kakashi had been silent most of the time except for when he would lean over and hug my neck and whisper apologies. I made a purring noise in my throat so that he knew I'd heard him but dared not speak. I was close to breaking point what with Obito's death and the battle that was raging inside of me. I had an important decision to make and it was difficult to choose between what I wanted and what I knew was right…

I watched the darkening forest speed by underneath me and I listened to all the night creatures' noises with my strengthened hearing. It was comforting to know that there was a place in the Ninja World that was peaceful.

A mournful howl rose into the sky and reached our ears; sending a shiver down Kakashi's spine.

"White Fang's below us… He's going to run ahead and meet us at the village," I informed Kakashi and then proceeded to howl and bark back a few instructions; with difficulty since I was in dragon form but I didn't want Kakashi to hear what I was saying.

"Wait… How's he getting there before us?" Kakashi asked and I looked over my shoulder at him.

"I'm going to take it slow because you look like you're going to be sick," I said, giving him a small smile; his face was tinged with green.

"Oh… Must be the altitude," Kakashi muttered as he screwed his scarred eye shut, realizing that his Sharingan was still visible.

"Or loss of chakra," I chuckled quietly; he did not like showing weakness of any kind.

I slowed my pace, glad that I could spend this time with Kakashi, even if we were silent for the most part.

"We're almost there Kakashi," I said, jerking my body slightly so that he woke from his light sleep.

"Oh…" Kakashi mumbled, trying to penetrate the darkness with his feeble human eyes.

His eyes were barely able to distinguish much in the moonlight but my wolf eyes allowed nothing to escape undetected. I'd lowered my altitude and was hardly fifty feet above the tree's canopy. The entrance to Konoha rose high above them as we approached at a moderate pace. Kakashi seemed to perk up but a feeling of dread crawled through my body as we drew nearer to the tall gates.

Soon enough we were floating above the wide dirt path that led to the village. It was deserted at this time of night and I was extremely grateful for that. I descended towards the path and my landing almost caused Kakashi to fall off since I couldn't put pressure on my front leg and I continued to walk without making a full stop.

"Where are we going?" Kakashi asked as I lumbered into the forest at the edge of the path.

"Just over here for a bit," I assured him quietly and I could feel his confused gaze boring into the back of my head.

There was a little space in the trees that allowed me to squeeze between them with my giant body.

"You can get off now," I told him politely and Kakashi slid down my left side.

He landed perfectly on the ground and turned around to look at me. I sighed as I gazed down on his masked face and I assured myself that he hadn't received any terrible injuries. I winced as I remembered my own wounds and found that they were still bleeding. I transformed back into my human body and I gave a half-hearted smile as Kakashi watched in awe. I straightened my clothes and fixed my hair as I did all I could to avoid his gaze.

"You're hurt quite badly," Kakashi noted, glancing at my shoulder and back where the cut on my tail had been relayed to.

"I'll heal them later," I mumbled, managing to keep my cool as I looked him in the eye.

"Come on, let's go home. You're safe now," Kakashi smiled and grabbed my left hand as he proceeded to lead me out of the forest and onto the path.

I dug my heels into the grass and yanked my hand away from his as gently as I could. He stopped abruptly and looked at me confusedly from the path as I cowered in the shadows of the trees.

"What's wrong?" he asked and his normally emotionless expression started to crack with worry.

"I can't go back… I don't belong there," I whispered and Kakashi's pained expression broke my heart.

"What?! Of course you do, it's your home!" I felt the tears beginning to well up in my eyes as he stared at me. "Is it because of what I said before? I was a jerk! I didn't mean a word of it, I swear; I love you!" he practically yelled at me, trying to get his words to sink in.

"I love you too, but you were right… I'm a danger to everyone…especially you!" the tears trickled down my cheeks as I stared up at him.

"No, you're not a monster. You fought in that clearing without going into that instinct driven stage," Kakashi said proudly, putting his hands on my shoulders.

"That's not what I meant… I put you in danger because I'm a dragon! I have all these powers and people want to use me to do their bidding, as Madara showed! Luckily, he caught me out of the village but he could've easily used you as bait and I would've come running! If they threatened you or anyone from the village I would run to save them but they might get hurt in the process! I wouldn't ever be able to live with myself if that happened… And Madara's still out there, still alive, still looking for me and the Jinchuuriki!" the tears fell faster now and Kakashi pulled me into his arms, trying to comfort me and keep me with him.

"You mean like what happened with Midori?" he asked my hair and I nodded into his chest.

"If I stay, that only puts everyone else in danger," I sobbed, pulling away to look up at his face.

"But, Madara's group is dead…" he said hopefully.

"Yes, but how long until he forms a new team? They won't stop until they have me and they'll use any means necessary to make me fight for their cause," I wished that Kakashi would see it my way but he loved me too much. "I have to go," I whispered, non-convincingly.

Kakashi's open eye searched mine as he desperately racked his brain for an argument.

"I… I can't live without you…" he finally admitted, gazing down at me lovingly. "I don't want to…"

"It will be unbearable but your going to have to-" Kakashi cut me off as he swiftly pulled down his mask.

I gasped; his face was too handsome to be human… It would've had to belong to an angel. His lips were perfectly shaped and soft pink that stood out on his pale, unscarred skin. He gazed at me intently before bowing his head to kiss my lips. My tears continued to fall as my lips moulded with his as he desperately tried to convince me that I had to stay. I wrapped my arms around his neck while he ran his fingers through my hair and held my head gently so that I couldn't pull away, not that I wanted to.

The kiss lasted for a few minutes but it seemed like only two seconds had passed. When we broke away for air, I sniffled and buried my head in his chest; closing my eyes and savouring his scent.

"Nothing I can do will make you change your mind," it wasn't a question and Kakashi's voice grew more depressed with every passing moment.

I had wanted our kiss to last for eternity, but I knew that that was impossible.

"I have to go," I said decidedly into his shirt.

"No you don't," his voice cracked and got slightly higher on the word '_don't_'.

Kakashi bent down again and gave me another desperate kiss. Even though his lips were urgent against mine, they still transferred all of his love to me. Fresh tears stung my eyes as we pulled away from each other and I looked up into his one visible eye.

"I have something I want to give you before I leave," I told him quietly and Kakashi gave me a puzzled angelic expression.

I pulled him closer like I was going to kiss him, and I was, but just at the base of his neck. I pressed my lips to his skin and Kakashi began to kiss my head, thinking that this was the gift. I was going to give him a Dragon Kiss, just like the one my mother had given my father. All I had to do was send a small amount of fire and part of my soul into the spot where I was kissing him. I pulled my mouth away from his neck for a second and he was forced to stop kissing my hair as well.

"This may hurt…" I warned him and pressed my lips back to his neck.

"What are you-" Kakashi stopped as he began to feel an odd sensation in his neck.

I focused my chakra in the pit of my stomach and let only a little leak out of my lips and onto his skin. He cried out but did not pull away from me so I continued. For part of my soul to be transported, I just had to think about how much I loved Kakashi and wanted to be with him…even in death…. A sudden jolt went through my body as I something inside me broke in two and one half was transported with the small amount of chakra I was changing into fire on Kakashi's neck. My soul came slowly at first and then faster as I reached the end of it and it was sucked into Kakashi. I pulled away from him as he shuddered and clamped a hand over top of the burn before yelping in pain once again.

"It'll only hurt for a few more seconds," I said as I took the hand Kakashi had over the burn in mine.

I watched with fascination as the red, puffy circle of the burn slowly sunk into the skin and in its place, a red and yellow circle appeared. Little yellow flames appeared at the place where the circle had turned yellow and then the centre of it went completely blank and a black dot appeared and grew until it resembled the black eye I had when I was a dragon. The Dragon Kiss symbol had the same colors the dragon giving it had, and mine was beautiful.

"There, it's done," I said, running my hand over the mark.

"What did you do?" Kakashi asked me with a bewildered expression.

"Remember how my mom died?"

"Yeah, something strange from your clan killed her even though she wasn't injured," he replied, rubbing the back on his neck, embarrassed that he couldn't remember the name for it.

"Dragon Kiss," I corrected him. "She transferred part of her soul to my father so that she would die at the same time as him," I saw my memories flash before Kakashi's eyes.

"So you gave me part of your soul? I don't want you to die!" he exclaimed and grabbed my shoulders, careful not to press too hard on my injured one.

"I won't unless you do Kakashi… But it doesn't work the other way around," I said sadly.

"Why?" he asked, not too sure that he wanted the answer.

"Because you can't give me part of your soul because you aren't a Tatsuha. I've already decided that my heart will belong to you, and only you, for as long as I live. You however, can find some other girl that will make you happier than I have. Someone normal who won't put you in danger just by being in the same village," my tears started again as I thought of another woman in his arms.

"I will always love you," Kakashi said but there was a slight hint of doubt to his tone that was there because I didn't believe he would love me forever.

"Goodbye…" I whispered, kissing his perfect lips one last time.

Kakashi put one hand on my waist, getting blood on his hand and the other around my head in a desperate attempt to keep me with him. I finally ended it because it was getting early and I wanted to escape before the sun rose.

"Tell the rest of the village that I was killed in the fight, but tell the Hokage the truth," I murmured my instructions to him and he nodded.

Kakashi was shaking with the effort to keep his emotions hidden but his eyes gave away the pain he was feeling. I raised my hands and grabbed Kakashi's mask and covered his face with his mask for him.

"Keep this hidden," I instructed as I tapped the Dragon Kiss beneath his mask.

Kakashi nodded, turned his back on me and walked out onto the path; the moonlight danced off of his silver hair. He stood there for what seemed like hours as I stood in the shadows of the trees watching him, tears pouring down my face. Kakashi glanced over his right shoulder to look at me and I realized that he was crying too. The lone tear that had escaped his eye, crawled down his cheek and was absorbed into his mask. He seemed to be giving me one last chance to change my mind but I stayed, rooted to the spot. Kakashi heaved a shaky sigh and walked towards the village entrance. A sudden gust of wind carried his last '_goodbye_' to me. I watched him pass the sentries and enter the village and I turned and ran into the forest. I didn't know where I was going but I didn't care. It didn't matter if I ran into any strange creatures because heaven forbid that they anger a distraught dragon…

I came to a sudden stop when I entered a small clearing surrounded by cherry trees. Memories from different times of my past flew before my eyes and I fell to my knees. I crumpled myself up into a ball and let the pain consume me and the torrent of tears began once again. I would let myself go here and then once White Fang found me with the stuff I had ordered him to bring me from my house, we would find some place to hide for the rest of my miserable existence.

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so that's the end! at least maybe... yeah there's gonna be a sequel and im working on it right now. I don't know how long it's going to take until I release the first chapter... so yeah please comment and review and visit kakashiskokoronotomo./ to see some fan art ive done for my story and there's still a lot more to come


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